Run For Your Life
by Slicklizard41
Summary: For all the Annie x Eyal shippers: It's been five years since Eyal quit Mossad and three years since Annie abruptly disappeared from his life. Now she's back and she needs his help to find out who really double crossed her.
1. Only If For A Night

He stood on the deck of his boat, staring, longingly, at the sunset across the sparkling water. It was a fantastic evening, making this impromptu trip to his boat all the more worthwhile.

Being on the boat brought back memories of those first couple years that he spent after Mossad just living his life and enjoying the water. It had been almost five years to the day that he quit Mossad and sometimes it still felt like yesterday. It had also been about three years since he'd last heard from her; the reason he'd left Mossad and the reason he no longer spent much time on the boat.

What had made him visit The Flying Lavin on this particular evening, he didn't know. Maybe he was just feeling nostalgic. Maybe his subconscious was telling him it was time to let go.

The last time he'd even spent the night on the boat had been that rainy night three years ago.

He had been standing at the mirror in the small cabin tending his wounds. It had been a long day with too many close calls. He had gotten out of Mossad to get away from that kind of bullshit, yet there he was, rushing back into the game every time Annie showed up on his doorstep.

He should have said no this time. Really, he should have said no every time.

He dabbed alcohol on a nasty looking gash above his eyebrow and winced.

She should be out of the country by now, he thought. When they'd had to split up to get out of that warehouse, he'd worried until he'd received the message from her that she'd made it out safely as well.

He'd been checking the gash to see if it needed stiches when the muffled sounds of movement above startled him. He silently cursed himself for not paying better attention, but the falling rain had made it impossible to hear well. His gun lay on the counter next to the sink. He reached for it in the cramped space, wrapped his fingers around the butt, and aimed the barrel at the small opening into the night air.

"Annie," he breathed, taking in her rain drenched form. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on a plane?" He lowered his weapon and stepped aside allowing her descend the steps to get out of the rain.

"I should," she answered simply. She was wearing the same thing he'd last seen her in; tennis shoes, jeans, long sleeved black t-shirt, and denim jacket. Her hair and clothes were soaked, like she'd been out, wandering in the rain since it started nearly two hours before. " I wanted to say goodbye and… and thank you."

He shrugged and gave her a half smile as she turned to face him. "I told you, you can always call me for help."

She frowned, eying the cut above his eyebrow. He flinched when she reached her fingers toward his face. "Please, Eyal, let me help you," she pleaded. "You've fixed so many of my wounds, let me help you with yours."

He relented and let her prod him to the barstool next to the sink. As she turned to retrieve the first aid kit from the head, he caught her hand stopping her. "Wait," he said. "Your clothes. In the head, in one of the drawers, I have some extra clothes. There should be something dry in there that you can change into."

"Thank you," she whispered with a smile.

A few minutes later she padded back into the cabin wearing a dark blue long sleeved t-shirt of his that was much too big for her and a pair of his pajama bottoms; her tangled, damp hair spilling over her shoulders. In her hands she held his first aid kit.

He held his gaze on her face as she worked, cleaning the fresh blood from his eyebrow gash and fastening two butterfly bandages.

"What else?" she asked when she was finished.

He smiled and shook his head. "Nothing that you can help with. I think I may have bruised a rib, but that will be fine. Not the first rib I've bruised."

She frowned and pressed a hand to his ribcage causing him to wince. "Jesus, I'm sorry."

She quickly pulled her hand away, but in one swift move he caught it, pulling her hand back to him. "It's okay," he whispered, looking up into her hazel colored eyes. "It's really not that bad." Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. "Annie," he said, mesmerized and lifting his hand to cup her cheek. In that instant he was overcome with the urge to press his lips against hers and feel her fingers in his hair.

She tilted her head to meet her lips to his, kissing him softly, at first, then deeper filled with fire and desire. His hand, that held her wrist, snaked around her waist, pulling her closer. Her hands ran softly along his jaw and into his hair brushing lightly against the back of his neck. "Eyal," she whispered against his lips.

He pulled back, for just a moment, catching his breath and looking directly into her hazel eyes. "I love you, Annie."

She smiled at him with her most genuine smile and his heart swelled. "I love you," she answered.

He smiled, letting his delight show on his face. In a blink of an eye, they were pulling each other across the small room, each tugging on the others clothes. Standing at the edge of the bed, he pulled his own shirt off, needing to feel the flutter of her finger-tips as they moved over his body.

Her hands brushed across his abdomen and up to his chest causing him to shiver. She paused, though, at the scar in his left shoulder. "You remember," he said nuzzling her neck and finding his own hands tugging at the hem of her shirt.

"Of course," she whispered, her voice raw with emotion. "You could have died that night."

"And I might have, if it wasn't for you." He remembered that night vividly. His recklessness. His desire to be with her. And if she hadn't thrown herself at the gunman, that night, the bullet that pierced his shoulder would have surely pierced his heart instead.

His hands found their way under the loose fabric of her shirt, tracing and memorizing the soft, warm flesh of her body. He kissed her throat and grazed his lips along her neck, breathing deeply the scent of rainwater in her hair. "Neshama," he sighed against her skin.

She shivered and caught her breath. In those simple gestures, they both lost control.

He made love to her that rainy night; slow, simple, and filled with passion. Their bodies clinging to each other like it was the only way either of them could stay afloat.

He fell asleep, his arms wrapped around her, content in a way that he hadn't felt in quite a long time. She was his soul. The light to his darkness. Everything he needed.

But when woke in the dim light of the morning, she was gone. In her place was a chain with the little key that she'd worn for ages around her neck. He had asked her multiple times before what the key was for but she would only tell him it was the key to her heart. He could only guess that it had been something of Simon's since he'd never seen it before she came back from Russia.

Now, standing on the boat's deck, three years later, he pulled the key and chain from his pocket. It was a strange gift to leave and even with as much pain as it had been to keep it, he had. He'd worn the key around his own neck for a time, hoping that she would come back. He'd tried to reach out to her, but all his messages were left unanswered. She had told him she loved him and then disappeared.

His hand tightened around the small key. He should just throw it in the water; get rid of her memory forever. But he still couldn't bring himself to let it just go.

Taking a final drink of his Sazerac, he watched the sun fall below the horizon before retreating into the cabin to make another drink. He decided that tonight, he would be numb, spend one last night on The Flying Lavin, and then in the morning it would go up for sale.

It was time to let go of the memories it held.

His sleep was restless and light. Every small noise seemed to shake him awake. When he heard the quiet thud on the deck above, he almost ignored it, but then he heard the lighter noises of footfalls moving above. Frowning, he pulled the gun from one of the drawers next to the bed that he kept for emergencies.

He crept out from the bed to stand in the shadows across from cabin portal. He waited as the intruder silently slipped down the narrow ladder in a pool of darkness. Aiming the gun at the figure, he quickly flipped on the overhead light effectively blinding the intruder.

He gasped. "Annie?" he asked the women standing in front of him with wild blonde hair and scared eyes, clothes covered in dirt and torn in places.

"Eyal?" she asked shielding her eyes. "Oh, thank God," she breathed. "Eyal, I need your help."


	2. Spectrum

She slowly lowered her hands from her eyes showing she had no weapon. "I didn't think you'd be thrilled to see me, but I didn't think you'd shoot me," she said, the lightness in her voice strained.

He shook his head, the shock of seeing her there fading. He lowered his gun, clicked the safety back in place, and slid it into the waistband of the jeans he was still wearing from the evening. It wasn't the safest place to put the weapon, but he wanted to be able to pull it quickly, if he needed. "What are you doing here, Annie? How did you know I'd be here? Did you follow me?" All of the questions spilled from his lips in one breath.

"Lucky guess," a smile tugged at her lips. "Really?" she asked seeing the stormy look on his face. "I've been trying to find you for a week. This was my last chance. I didn't even know for sure your boat would still be here. And if it hadn't been, I'm not sure what I would have done then."

_Kismet_, he thought to himself. He leaned against the edge of the kitchen sink, crossing his arms over his chest. He took a moment to really look at her. She was wearing a grey sweater, torn in places with splotches of dirt, tight blue jeans, and knee-high brown leather boots. Her eyes were huge and sparkling with fear. She stood in front of him, leaning slightly to the right, favoring her left leg. "You're hurt," he stated.

"I- Yes." She blew out a sigh of relief.

"Come," he said, gesturing for her to sit on the bed. She limped over and smoothed rumpled bed covers before sitting down. She unlaced her boot, wincing as she pulled it off. She rolled up her pants leg showing him the deep purple bruising and swelling of her ankle.

She frowned. "It looks worse than it actually is."

"Let me take a look," he said as he knelt down next to the bed. His fingers probed lightly over her bruised ankle, checking for broken bones. When he was satisfied that nothing was broken, he stood and rummaged in a couple drawers before finding two rolls of athletic tape.

He pulled over the small step-stool that he kept by the kitchen sink and placed it directly in front of Annie. He perched himself on the stool, took her foot in his hands and began taping using criss-crossing motions. It wouldn't be as effective as a splint and staying off of the ankle for a few days, but at least it would be immobilized so no more damage could be done.

When he was finished he let go of her foot, looked up into Annie's eyes and sighed. Her hazel eyes looked down onto him, studying. Her smile was warm; the smile he remembered from all the times they'd worked together, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Eyal..." she trailed off as he stood up.

He picked up the stool and returned it to where he'd found it. "Annie," he began as he filled the coffee pot on the counter with water, "look, whatever it is, I'll help you if I can, but you need to tell me what's going on."

Out of the corner of his eye, while making the coffee, he watched as Annie took off her other boot and pull her knee to her chest resting her good foot on the edge of the bed. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

"The whole thing stared about three years ago, around the time I last saw you. After Joan left the DPD, I was moved to a new devision where I was given a new assignment. Deep cover.

I was tasked with infiltrating a counterfeit ring here in Europe who the CIA believes is funding terrorist groups. I had to get in deep enough to not only gather intel on the counterfeit ring but also any intel I could get on the terrorist groups they're funding.

It's taken me nearly two and a half years to raise high enough in the organization to get any real intel. Two weeks ago I learned of a bombing that was supposed to happen this week on the US consulate in Chiro by a group that had splintered off of Al Qaeda. I immediately sent a coded message to my courier to do a pick up at the usual cafe in Barcelona the next morning.

I went to the cafe, but my courier never showed. I assumed that he had felt he'd been followed so I followed my protocol and returned to my apartment to wait for a message, but when I got there, something was wrong. Someone had broken into my apartment. Nothing was taken except some business paperwork concerning the counterfeit ring and the key to a safety deposit box in Paris.

I knew right then that my cover was blown. I got out of there as fast as I could, went to ground and contacted my emergency contact to pass my intel and find a way out of Barcelona. I was to meet my contact at Placa Reial near the fountain to get a clean passport and funds to get out of Spain.

When I got there, my contact was already waiting. She had just handed me a clean passport when shots where fired and she was killed. I ran as fast as I could, but I'm still not sure I wasn't followed.

The next day, the US consulate was bombed. No one ended up killed, but people were hurt. They must have moved up the hit date because they knew I would pass the information onto the CIA.

I spent the next few days trying to get in touch with my current contacts in Europe, but they are all either dead or missing. I'm not sure what to do anymore. I have some old assets, but I don't want to chance getting them killed too."

He found an old coffee mug under the sink and poured some of the coffee, that had been brewing while Annie talked, into it. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to Annie on the edge, brushing her shoulder with his. Handing her the cup, he said, "It's probably not that good. It's been on the boat for a few years now."

She took a drink and sighed, closing her eyes. He could see the dark circles and he wondered how long it had been since she last slept. All his old feelings came crashing back and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her he'd protect her.

"I thought I could get out on my own," she continued, her eyes still closed. He could feel her beginning to relax against is shoulder. "I've been running for the last week and a half. Mostly traveling across borders at night. About a week ago, I realized that I'm not going to get out of this without the help of someone I can trust. And, Eyal, I trust you."

She turned to look him directly in the eye. She was so close he had to hold himself back. There was still fear in her eyes but there was something more; determination.

"I didn't think you would have kept this boat all this time," she sighed again, closing her eyes and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I tried searching for you in Athens, but I couldn't find any trace of you under any of your aliases that I know about. I couldn't find anything that I could find you with."

He chuckled. He taken so many precautions after quitting Mossad he forgotten just how hard it would be for someone to find him. It was possible, he knew, if you knew the right name.

Annie shifted her weight slightly and leaned more into his shoulder. He watched her as her breathing became slow and even. He slid his arm out from beside her and slipped his arm around her back and hooked his hahips round her hip, pulling her closer. With his free hand he took the half empty coffee cup from Annie's hands setting it on a self over the bed.

Eyal sighed and got up from the bed, picking Annie up in the process. He laid her back down gently in the middle of the bed, pulling the old quilt he used up to her shoulders. With his fingertips, he brushed the hair from her eyes letting his fingers trail from her temple to her jaw.

He checked his watch and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. He stood, watching her sleep for a few minutes before picking up the coffee mug from the shelf over her head and pouring the lukewarm liquid down the sink drain. He rinsed the cup, poured in more coffee, and leaned up against the sink counter, thinking. It was 3:30 in the morning and he didn't think he'd be getting sleep any time soon.

He hadn't seen Annie in this kind of state in a very long time. He couldn't help but wonder just what Annie wasn't telling him. She was a spy after all, and a good spy at that. Spies, by nature, never gave the whole truth... No matter who it is that they're talking to.

He sipped his coffee and watched Annie sleep. She hadn't changed much since he met her so many years before. Yes, she was a bit older, but so was he. She was still, though, probably the most incredible person he'd ever known. And he loved her. Still.

He knew without a doubt that he would help Annie no matter what kind of mess she was really in.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, his fingers caught the chain holding the key. He dangled the key in front of his eyes and smiled. It was amazing how fate had a way of bringing everything together.

He put the chain back in his pocket and turned his attention back to his phone. He climbed the ladder onto the deck as he scrolled through his contacts. It was ridiculously early in the morning, but he knew for a fact the the man he needed to talk to didn't sleep anyway. It was time to make some calls.


	3. Blinding

**Please note: I've never actually been to Athens and what I've written about the city has been, more or less, made up.**

"Annie," he said, prodding her shoulder. "Annie, you need to wake up." She had been sleeping so peacefully, he hated to wake her up but they needed to get on the road to make it back into Athens. It wasn't a very long drive back to his flat in the city, but there were a few things he needed to take care of before picking up Annie's new passport at noon and getting her safely on a flight out of Greece in the afternoon.

Her eyes flew open and focused on his face leaning over her. "Oh," she gasped. "I thought finding you was just a dream."

He laughed and straightened up. "I don't know about a dream, but it's certainly been something."

She stretched, sat up, and slid her legs over the edge of the bed. She slid her boot over her taped ankle and groaned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I think so," she answered with a smile. "Just don't ask me to jump from any fire escapes."

Eyal raised an eyebrow wondering if this was her was of telling him how she managed to sprain her ankle in the first place. "We'll, that wasn't exactly in my plans for today."

Annie smiled slyly as she looked up from zipping her boot. "Oh yeah? And what kinds of plans did you have." Her voice was breathless, expecting.

"Among other things, I thought we'd get you a new passport." His smile broadened. He could feel their easy rapport coming back. It had been a long time.

They both climbed up the ladder onto the deck taking in the bright morning sunshine. The air was cool and crisp, perfect for a fall day.

Eyal climbed over the side first; reaching his hand out to help Annie onto the dock. She smiled as she touched his hand and the electric spark that he felt warmed him through to his heart. She landed on the dock with just inches between their bodies. Eyal looked down into her shining hazel eyes. The pull to her was incredible.

Regretfully, he dropped her hand and looked away. "Time to get going. I've got a meeting in about two hours," he said checking his watch and hurrying along the dock.

"A meeting? About what? With who?" Annie asked hurrying after him.

"Curiosity killed the cat," he quipped, glancing back. "I'm meeting a cobbler I know. A man who calls himself Hermes."

"As in?"

"Yes. As in the Greek god of travelers. Don't ask. The man's a bit of Greek mythology buff and possibly a little crazy, but he's one of the best cobblers I know."

"You called him while I was sleeping?" She caught his wrist as they stepped onto the parking lot asphalt. He stopped and faced her. "Thank you."

He shrugged and gave her a half smile before continuing to his car. "It's nothing you wouldn't do for me," he said as he unlocked his silver sedan.

"What is it with you and silver cars?" She teased as she slid into the passenger seat next to him.

"What is it with you and your flashy little red car?" He asked, an eyebrow raised. "I like it. It's nondescript. Unlike a certain car you drive."

"I like that car," she said with a smile, looking off into the distance. "It was a great car, but I don't have it anymore. I sold it when I left for this assignment. Instead, I have a vintage corvette convertible waiting for me in a storage unit in DC."

"A corvette, huh? Yes. Much more nondescript. Perfect for a spy. Where on earth did you get a car like that?"

Annie looked down at her hands and replied quietly, "Auggie gave me it ages ago."

Eyal didn't say anything. He knew that the two had dated for a time but had had a sort of falling out in the year or so after. He found himself wondering, as he drove into the city, what had caused the rift between the two.

He pulled easily into his usual parking space in the Psirri area of Athens. "We're here." He smiled happily at Annie before getting out of the car.

Annie scrambled to catch up to him as he strolled to the other side of the street. "Where's here?" she asked, confused, and matching his strides.

"Epikourou and Sarri."

"Not helping," she said with a hint of irritation.

"This, Annie," he said turning into a narrow ally, "is my flat." He gestured to the windows at the forth and final story of the building they stood in front of. She laughed and a grin spread across his lips. "Come on," he said taking her hand and pulling her up the stairway just inside the door.

He had never actually brought a woman up to his flat. Sure there had been women in his life over the last few years but he always took them back to their place or somewhere else. Bringing Annie up to the loft felt a little like bringing a piece of himself home.

"Eyal, really," Annie said, out of breath, when they reached to top, "the forth floor?"

"I'm not a spy anymore, Annie." He slipped the key into the lock and and turned it. "Besides, I didn't buy this place for spy reasons..." He opened the door and let Annie into his spacious loft.

"It's incredible," she gasped as she made her way over to the picture windows lining the outside wall. "Your view is the Acropolis. Wow." She whirled around as Eyal walked over to his kitchen table and began emptying his pockets.

The coins clinked against the sides of bowl, echoing throughout the room. As he pulled his phone out of the other pocket, another item caught on his fingers and fell to the floor with a loud thunk.

"Is that?" she gasped rushing to his side as he bent to retrieve the key and chain.

"Yeah, uh..."

"Oh, Eyal. You have no idea how glad I am to see this," she said reaching for the key dangling from the chain. "I thought I was going to have to call Auggie. I know exactly where we need to go."

"We?" he questioned. "No, Annie, you need to go home. Back to Langley where they can protect you." He laid his hand on her forearm.

"Do you know what this key is?" she asked, a smile spread across her face.

"The key you got in Russia?"

"No. It's not. It just sort of looks like it. It's for a safety deposit box in Zurich that contains not only funds and a clean passport, but also the full file on the counterfeit ring. It could lead us to whoever is causing this nightmare."

"Wait," Eyal said, dropping the chain into Annie's hand. "Are you telling me you left me this key as security?" She nodded smiling. "But you never told me anything about it." He shook his head ran his hand trough his hair. "How did you know I just wouldn't get rid of it?"

"I didn't," she admitted and, holding the key tightly in her hand, Annie began pacing the length of the kitchen floor. "The reason I came back to the boat that night... It was to tell you. I never expected what happened to...happen.

I had a plan that night. I was going to give you the key, tell you that I was going on a mission, and if anything happened to me you would hear from Auggie. When I woke up that morning, I panicked. I left the key and went back to DC where I gave another copy of the key to Auggie.

There's a lawyer in DC, outside of the agency, that is supposed to deliver a message to Auggie with directions to find you and directions to where the safety deposit box is. After all this time, there's still no one I trust more than the two of you to find whoever killed me."

He wasn't sure what to tell her at that moment. The whole plan of hers sounded a bit paranoid, not to mention a little ridiculous, but then again she did end up burned and running for her life. Maybe it hadn't been such a paranoid move after all.

Annie stopped and turned to him. "We've got to get going."

"What?" He was still processing what she'd just told him.

"We've got to go. Quickly. When are we meeting with Hermes? We need to get that passport and get going to Zurich." Her eyes were wild with determination. In her apparent excitement, Annie began walking toward the door.

Eyal caught her by the elbow as she passed, stopping her. He turned her to face him putting both hands on her shoulders so he could look her directly in the eyes. "'We' aren't going anywhere. I am going to meet with Hermes and then you are going to get on a plane back to DC this afternoon so that you can get to Langley. They can protect you."

She frowned. "No. I'm coming with you," she insisted stubbornly. "And then we're going to Zurich. It's the only way..."

"For once, Annie, can't you do what I ask?" His frustration was evident. He dropped his hands and walked around the corner and into his bedroom.

He slid open one of the mirrored doors of the closet and pulled out his favorite long sleeved navy blue t-shirt. He tossed it onto his bed before tugging off the shirt he'd worn the night before and dropping it in the basket at the floor of the closet.

As he closed the door, he caught an image of Annie standing next to the screen that separated the bedroom from the living room, staring. She blushed lightly and looked away. Pulling his clean shirt on, he found himself sighing.

"Look," he said, combing a hand through his hair, "it's just better if you stay here right now. We don't know if you've been followed here to Athens. I don't want to chance someone out there catching sight of you while out on a simple errand."

He brushed past Annie into the living room and turned into the kitchen where he plucked his black wool pea coat from the hook by the door. He slipped the coat on as he turned to face her.

Annie's arms were crossed over her chest and her lips were turned down in a frown. Her irritation was so apparent that he nearly gave in. He reached for her arm, letting his fingers trail from her shoulder to her elbow.

"I just want you to be safe right now, Neshama," he said, the old pet name slipped from between his lips before he could catch himself. "I'll only be gone a couple hours at most. We can figure out what we're going to do next when I get back." He smiled and opened the door. "Why don't you take a shower or eat something? There are towels in the bathroom and food in the fridge. You'll feel better," he suggested as he walked out the door locking it behind him.

Forty-five minutes later he slipped into a seat at the small cafe across the street from the A. Antonopolou Art, where Hermes had asked to meet. In reality, the museum was just around the corner from his flat but he'd wanted to make a quick stop at a friend's shop.

With the help of an over-flirty saleswoman, he managed to purchase a soft green sweater and royal blue pea coat for Annie. The coat was maybe a bit flashy for spy on the run, but the color had reminded him of a dress she'd worn a few years earlier. It had taken his breath away.

Eyal had just received his lunch when a man, not too much older than himself, sat down in the empty chair across from him. He was a larger man with a long black beard threaded with grey and no hair on his head.

"Eyal, so nice to see you," the man said with a smile.

"It's been a long time, Hermes."

"Yes it has. I thought you didn't help spies out of the country anymore."

"Who said anything about spies? This is just a special case."

The man across the table raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing. Instead, he slipped a slender blue book from his pocket and set it lightly at the center of the table. Eyal picked it up and leafed through the pages quickly. When he was satisfied he slipped it into the inside pocket of his coat and extracted a thick envelope, placing it where the passport had sat moments ago.

"You do excellent work, as usual," Eyal commented, taking a drink of water.

Hermes picked up the envelope on the table and slid it into his own pocket. "Yes I do. But let me give you a piece of advice, my friend. You walk a thin line helping someone who is wanted by the CIA."

"What?" Eyal asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Let me put it this way. A CIA contact of mine approached me two days ago looking for a blonde American woman in her mid-thirties that looks very much like the woman in the passport you hold to your chest. He said the CIA believes she has committed treason and is currently on the run. I told my contact that no such woman had approached me."

Eyal felt his blood run cold. "And if you're asked again?"

"For you, I will say the same."

"Remind me to buy you a drink sometime."

"I'll remind you to buy me a few," Hermes said as he stood. "Be careful, my friend. I hope she's worth it."

Eyal nodded and watched the man leave. He waited a few more minutes before standing himself, leaving his half finished lunch and some bills on the table to cover his meal. He picked up the shopping bag at his feet and made his way out to the street.

Armed with the piece of information, Eyal stood in front of the cafe, thinking. If what Hermes said was true, the CIA would have had eyes on him. So, in turn, now they would have eyes on Eyal.

He turned and began walking in the opposite direction of the flat. If he did have a tail now, he needed too loose them quickly. Keeping to streets bustling with tourists, he weaved around the masses of shoppers. He stopped occasionally, studying the reflection in a shops window.

After three stores, Eyal had his man; medium build, dark hair cropped very close to his scalp, wire-rimmed glasses, brown leather jacket, and khaki pants. Very nondescript, but he'd been across the street at every stop Eyal made.

As he began walking, his mind traced the route he would need to take to corner his tail, incapacitate him, and get back to the flat. He turned right at the next empty ally. It was lined with doorways.

Eyal chose a particularly deep one and pressed himself up against the door, dropping his bag at his feet. He waited only a couple minutes before he could hear the footfalls of his tail enter the ally. A moment before the man would have discovered him, Eyal lunged from his hiding spot and sucker punched the man scare in the jaw.

The move dazed the man enough so that Eyal could wrap his around the mans neck, effectively locking his elbow under his tail's chin. Eyal tightened his grip. Too tight for too long and he would kill the man. But for just the right amount of time would render the man unconscious.

He felt the man go limp in his hands. He waited a few more seconds before releasing his hold and catching him before he hit the ground. Eyal propped the man in the closest doorway before retrieving the bag with Annie's new clothes and moving as fast as he could back to the flat without causing suspicion.

It was fifteen minutes before he unlocked his front door. Punching a code into the number pad next to the door, he turned on the alarm for the door at the bottom of the stairs.

"Annie," he called. "Where are you?"

"Hey," she said coming around the corner from the bedroom. "You're back." A smile spread across her lips. She stood in front of him, barefoot with wet hair, wearing her jeans and one of his t-shirts. It was too much like that night on the boat.

He steeled himself and quickly moved to her placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her directly in the eye. "You don't need to tell me everything, but I do want to know how deep of shit I'm getting myself into. Annie, did you betray your country? Did you commit treason?"


	4. Breaking Down

He stood there, hands on her shoulders, eyes locked with hers, waiting.

"I-" she stammered.

"Just yes or no. That's all I need." He searched her face for an answer but her expression was cold.

"No, Eyal. I would never betray my country." Her voice was emotionless.

They stood, locked in each others gaze, for a moment before he nodded. "Okay." Eyal's hands slid from her shoulders to his side. "Okay, but we've got move." He reached over and picked up the bag he'd left by the door and handed it to Annie. "I got you something to wear that's not one of my shirts. And," he said pulling the new passport from his inside pocket, "this."

Annie plucked the book from his hand and flipped through the pages. "Fantastic."

"Go. Change. Quickly." He strode to the kitchen and pulled a knife from the butcher block. He returned to the living room, pushed the sofa to the side and began counting floorboards.

"What are you doing?" Annie called from the bedroom.

At the 23rd floorboard, he knelt down, jammed the blade between two boards and began prying. "Looking for buried treasure." The first board popped up and he gripped the board next to it prying it out of place too. He reached under the boards and pulled out an old worn leather messenger bag. "This is my emergency pack. Clean papers. Clean funds."

Eyal replaced the boards in the floor and stood, pulling the bag's strap over his head and laying it flat against his chest. He looked up to find Annie watching him. She'd changed into the green sweater and was just buttoning her new pea coat.

He paused, watching as she tightened the coat's belt.

"Okay. Let's go," she said.

Eyal made his way back over to the kitchen, opening the drawer next to the sink. He could hear Annie's footsteps behind him. He pulled a gun from the drawer and loaded it with a fresh clip before slipping it into his coat pocket.

As an afterthought, he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dropping it on the kitchen counter.

"After I met with Hermes, I was followed. I knocked the guy out, but I guarantee you that as soon as he spotted me with Hermes he called it in and got eyes on this place."

"How can you be sure of that they'll find your flat?" she asked. "I know you probably better than most people and I couldn't even find you."

"Because I know the man. I met him a couple years ago, while doing a little business under the name I've used in Greece. He's CIA, Annie. He knows who I am. And if he knows that, he also knows you and I have a history. Actually, I'm surprised the CIA didn't have this place watched the minute they learned you were here in Athens."

Eyal moved to the closest window pane to check and see if he could spot their surveillance. As he looked, three men made their way down the alley; two from one end and a third from the opposite. As they neared the door to the staircase they drew their weapons.

Annie drew a quick breath. She had come up to stand next to him. "Eyal, you have an escape plan, right? We definitely can't go out the front door."

As the alarm for the alley door's shrill beeping rang through the flat, he gripped the lip of the window in front of him and pulled. The pane came out easily and he slid it quickly to the ground, pushing it out of the way.

He climbed deftly up onto the window ledge reaching outside and up to the roof overhang. Using the rough exterior wall, he was able to get enough traction to pull himself up and over the edge.

Annie scrambled onto the ledge behind him, reaching her hands up to curl around the overhang. Eyal reached down and grabbed both of her wrists. "Hold on. I'll pull you up," he said through gritted teeth.

Annie launched herself up as Eyal began to pull causing them to tumble backward onto the slanted roof. She followed him as he scrambled up the slant and slid down the opposite side. He could hear shouting from his flat as they stood, looking at the drop in front of them.

There was a ten foot drop to get to the next building over, a jump he could easily make and they would have to in order to escape. He leapt and landed safely on the next roof. He looked back, waiting for Annie.

"I thought we agreed, no jumping," she called from above.

"You said fire escapes," he said with a small smile. "Come on. I'll catch you." He raised his arms, expectant. "Trust me."

Annie swore softly and jumped from his roof and landed lightly in his arms. He tightened his arms momentarily, their bodies pressed together and their mouths mere inches apart. He may have held on to her a minute longer than necessary, but she didn't let go either.

Eyal hesitantly broke from her and instead locked his hand around hers and tugged her toward the next roof. "This way," his breathing hard. "The next building over's roof access door has a broken lock. We'll take those stairs down to the street and get lost in the afternoon crowd."

"And what then?" Annie asked breathlessly, following Eyal across the roof.

"Then," he said looking over his shoulder, "we head to Zurich." He just caught her smile as they both leapt the few feet to the third building. Her hand tightened in his as they ran to the door. Eyal flung it open and they began the descent down the three flights to the alley below.

Eyal led Annie down the alley and out into the busy afternoon street. From there he took her down as many crowded streets as possible, stopping occasionally to check for a tail. It had been easier than he'd thought to lose their pursuers and that concerned him.

He caught sight of the frown on Annie's face as they stopped to scan their surroundings again. "Hey," he said softly. "Let's keep walking to be safe. Come on." He held out his hand and Annie took it, lacing her fingers through his.

"Aren't you worried?" she asked suddenly.

"About what?" He raised one of his eyebrows and gave her a sideways glance.

"About what the CIA is going to find in your home."

"What are they going to find that will be of use to them? That I like to read spy novels?" He gave a quick shrug of his shoulders. "Everything having to do with the alias that I'm going to use to get us out of the country is here in my bag."

"You're sure? You're leaving a lot behind right now… and risking even more."

He smiled. "Annie, I may have been out of the game for a while, but I still remember what I'm doing." She gave him a slightly skeptical look. "You wouldn't have come to me if you didn't still think that. Besides, I've gotten used to taking big risks when I'm around you."

After a moment, she tilted her head to the side. "I think I would have come to you even if you couldn't help me."

He glanced at her again, a little confused. He wasn't sure what he could say, or should, for that matter.

When he was finally satisfied there was no one following them, Eyal stepped out into the street and hailed a taxi. After speaking to the driver in rapid Greek, he ushered Annie into the backseat with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked as the car began to move.

"The airport," he answered simply.

"The airport? Isn't that a bit obvious?"

"Maybe. Going to the airport is a rookie mistake. Your agency knows we're both smarter than that. My bet is they are scouring the train, bus, and ferry terminals right now. Besides, I have a friend at the Athens airport that can get us through security without any problems." He felt her relax slightly against his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm right here next to you. I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered for only her to hear.

"Thank you," she said simply, slipping her hand into his and turning to watch the buildings pass by their taxi.


	5. I'm Not Calling You A Liar

"Good news," Eyal said cheerfully taking the seat next to Annie.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, breaking her gaze away from the tall glass windows of the airport.

"We're booked on a 5pm flight to Zurich with a quick layover in Amsterdam. We'll be in Zurich before you know. And I had Liat paged. She'll be here in a few minutes to help up bypass security."

Annie's face was a mask of worry. "Are you sure this is the best way?"

"Yes," Eyal said, firmly. "I have to warn you though, Liat is a little-"

"Eyal!" came Liat's breathy voice from behind him.

"Liat, it's so good to see you." He smiled as he stood and pulled the younger woman into an embrace. He kissed each of her cheeks before letting her go. He took a step back and studied the younger woman in her curve hugging business suit. "When did you get so old?"

"Oh stop. You always think of me as a little kid."

He chuckled. "To me, you'll always be seven years old." He draped an arm around Liat's shoulders as he turned to find Annie standing and giving him a quizzical look. "Liat, meet my friend Annie," he said still smiling. "Annie, this is my cousin Liat, who also happens to be the head of security here."

He watched as the two women greeted each other.

"So, finally, I get to meet you, Annie," Liat said, gripping her hand. The corners of Annie's lips turned up in a smile. "Eyal doesn't talk much about his time with Mossad, but you, he has told me about."

"We should get going, Liat," he said, tugging lightly on her elbow. "Annie and I have a plane to catch."

"Yes, yes. Of course, ben-doda. Lets go through my office."

Annie followed close behind Liat as she turned to take them to her office through a maze of hallways and into the airports' main security office. Eyal had been through the security office a couple times before to bypass regular security. Today the office was empty.

Liat led them through a door on the opposite side of the office and took them down a hallway that ended in a keypad access door. Liat quickly typed in her access code and opened the door for he and Annie to go out. But before Annie could actually step through the door, Liat took Annie's hand in both of hers. "I really am so glad I finally got to meet you, Annie. Eyal is closed off about so many things, it's nice to get to meet someone besides family that can bring out the person he is under all of secrets that was his life for so many years."

Annie smiled. "I don't know how much I've had to do with that."

"Trust me," Liat insisted as she hustled Annie through the door. "You've had everything to do with it."

"Really, Liat, do you have to do that?" Eyal said squeezing her shoulder affectionately.

"Of course I do, ben-doda. But maybe if you'd come see your little cousin that lives in the same city as you more often, I wouldn't have to embarrass you so often."

Eyal laughed lightly. "You don't embarrass me, but I will try to visit more often." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek again before slipping thought the door. He heard the click of the door as he followed Annie down the terminal.

"So, Liat, huh?" Annie asked as they both sat down together at their gate. The plane would begin boarding at any minute. "Your cousin."

He chuckled. "You don't think I have cousins?" He raised an eyebrow. "Liat is my mother's brother's youngest daughter. She's ten years younger than me. I used to tease her relentlessly when she was a kid and then somewhere in her teen years she decided she wanted to be my best friend and I haven't been able to get rid of her since."

He smiled widely at the thought of a teenage Liat calling and begging to visit. "She joined the Israeli army when she turned 18. I was already Mossad then, and she wanted to follow in my footsteps. Thankfully, when she got out of the service, her father needed her to help with his security business. I love my cousin. I never wanted her to get involved with Mossad."

Annie nudged his shoulder and he turned to look at her, the smile gone from his lips, as their flight was called. "They're calling our flight," she said simply.

He nodded, getting up from his seat. "Let's go," he said leading the way through the gate and onto the plane.

On the plane, he stepped aside and let Annie take the window seat. They settled in and when the plane began to move, Eyal held his breath until they were finally in the air. He sighed with relief and turned to look at Annie. They'd both been silent since boarding.

He'd just laid his head back against the seat when she spoke. "I had a feeling something was wrong with my mission almost a month before I received the intel on the bombing. I should've gotten out then."

"Why didn't you?"

"I thought I could handle it or at least figure out how I got burned. At first it was just the sensation of being followed but then my intel started to become compromised and suddenly dates and times would change without notice making everything I'd passed on wrong.

I contacted Auggie when I knew i couldn't cover my ass any longer. I asked him to get extra protection on my sister and her family, but when he got back to me, they were already gone. And then I lost contact with Auggie, my courier disappeared, my apartment was broken into, and my contact was shot in front of me.

I did the only thing I could do then. I ran as fast as I could.

I didn't realize the agency was pursuing me until all of my assets started turning up missing. The worst part of it all is that my sister is gone and I don't know whether its the agency that has her family or someone else. And to top it all off, I got Auggie involved. They probably believe I conspired with him... Or at the very least, used him to help with my escape."

"You're worried about them." Eyal said calmly, watching her as she stared ahead.

"Yeah, I'm worried. I'm worried about Auggie. I'm worried about my sister and her family. Hell, I'm even worried about you and the mess I've suddenly made of you nice quiet life in Athens."

He chuckled quietly to himself. "I hardly think you've made any sort of mess of my life in Athens."

Eyal continued to watch Annie for a few more minutes before once again leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. It had already been a long day and he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"How did you do it all those years?" she quietly asked.

"What? Work for Mossad? I've told you that story," he answered without opening his eyes. "My heart was filled with vengeance. Once I fulfilled my reason for joining Mossad, it was only a matter of time before I quit."

"I remember when we first met."

"I can't seem to forget."

"You were such a cocky bastard."

"No, no, Annie. You're confusing cocky with charismatic."

"Hardly," she snorted. "But you changed."

"Did I?"

"You know you did."

He smiled and found himself laughing lightly. "Just maybe I met this frustrating American spy who insisted on irritating me with all her talk of protocol and checking in. And the worst thing about her is that she saved my life, multiple times."

"Was I really that irritating?"

"Did I really throw your phone out of the car window?"

She laughed softly and smiled before turning to look out the window at the passing clouds. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Annie sighed softly and relaxed against her seat. He closed his eyes again and was asleep in minutes.

It seemed like he'd just drifted off when his eyes flew open to the touch of Annie's hand gently shaking his shoulder. "Eyal, we're here. In Amsterdam."

"Already?" he questioned as he rubbed the heels of his palms over his eyes. It was rare that he didn't wake before his plane landed. He unbuckled his seatbelt and slipped into the line of deplaning passengers pulling Annie by the wrist behind him.

Once they outside of the gate he stretched his aching frame; his joints popping from the cramped space. He looked at his watch, converting the time in his head. "We've got just over an hour until our flight to Zurich. Lets get something to eat. Who knows when we'll get a chance again."

He led Annie to a small stand and bought them both sandwiches, fruit, and bottled water. They sat down at a nearby table and ate for a few minutes in silence. Finally, Eyal's curiosity got the better of him. "You said before that you got Auggie involved. I always thought he was your handler. Shouldn't he have already been read in on your mission?"

She shook her head and took a drink from her water. "Auggie stayed with the DPD when I transferred devisions. That year right after you left Mossad was a roller coaster ride for the two of us. A lot of things happened that ended up putting a strain on our relationship," she said carefully. "Things sort fell apart and I transferred to a new devision.

This mission is what really got us talking again. Auggie wanted me to refuse. He didn't know the details of this assignment, but he knew what deep cover means. I might never come back." She looked at Eyal and smiled. "It's amazing the things you realize when you think you're never going to see someone again.

Anyway, we both realized our friendship was too important to give up over what had happened in the past. Auggie told me to contact him if I ever needed him... For anything."

"So, when things went sideways, you called," Eyal finished. "You regret calling him." She nodded. "You shouldn't regret the things that are in the past. You can't change what's happened, just learn from it."

Annie raised an eyebrow at him and cocked her head to the side. "So many years later and you're still trying to teach me lessons."

"Old habits die hard," he said taking a bite of his apple and listening as a woman announced the boarding of their flight. "That's us," he said as they both stood and began walking to their gate.

Silence hovered between them until after their plane was back in the air.

"Do you know why I, you know, joined?"

He shook his head and watched her.

"I fell in love and then lost it. For a over a year after that I was completely lost. And then suddenly I decided that I was done letting everyone else decide my fate. For once I wanted to be in control."

She shook her head before continuing. "But the thing is, I was never in control. I thought that my joining the agency was my choice. Instead, I was recruited for the sole reason of bringing in a rouge operative... The man I'd fallen in love with."

"They used you," he said quietly.

"Every man that I've ever really loved has been a spy."

Eyal reached for Annie's hand and squeezed it. He had nothing to say to ease her personal pain.

He let go of her hand and shifted in his seat, trying to get more comfortable. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she might know that she either didn't realize she knew or was just keeping from him. He didn't think she would intentionally lie to him, not right now, but, once a spy, always a spy. He could attest to that sentiment.


	6. No Light, No Light

Zurich, he thought frowning. Why did she have to choose Zurich? And it was Saturday night. They would have to lay low until Monday morning in order to access Annie's safety deposit box.

Their old safe house was out of the question. If it was even still a safe house anymore, the CIA was sure to have it under surveillance. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Annie just outside of the women's lavatory in the baggage claim area of the Zurich airport.

He could actually feel her presence when Annie stopped beside him. For a fleeting moment he wondered if it was the same feeling Auggie had always had.

"We're here."

Eyal almost hadn't heard her say it. He knew the underlying meaning of her tone. This city held too much history. It was where they'd met, where he'd told her he'd quit Mossad, and where he'd sacrificed himself for her. He wondered if the same images flashed through her mind.

"What now?" he asked. "We can't stay at the safe house. That's too risky. We're going to have to get a-"

"Maybe not," Annie said laying a hand on his arm. A small smile spread over her lips. "Do you still have a contact at Credit Suisse?"

Eyal's eyes widened slightly. "That's where your safety deposit box is?"

She shrugged quickly. "I knew you used to have a contact there. I figured if anything happened to me you could use your contact to help you and Auggie get the files from the box. I know it wasn't the best of ideas, but if it worked that's all I cared."

He sighed and shook his head. "It's been a long time. She might not be willing to help." He frowned and slipped his hand into one of the inside pockets of his leather bag and retrieved a burner phone he kept for emergencies. He searched his memory for her number and hoped she hadn't changed it.

He spoke quietly into the phone as Annie watched intently. "Nina, it's Eyal. Eyal Lavin," he said softly in his best Swiss-German when she answered.

"I... Eyal, this is a surprise. I haven't heard from you in ages.

"Yes I know. Nina, I need a favor."

"No."

"Please. Just listen."

"No, Eyal. You know I can't help you. I told you that almost five years ago after you left Mossad."

"I promise, Nina, there is nothing underhanded about what I need."

"Eyal, I don't do any work for Mossad. I haven't for a long time."

"My friend just needs to access her safety deposit box at Credit Suisse tonight. It just can't wait until Monday. It's not even really for me."

The line was silent for a moment before the other woman sighed. "Fine. I will get your friend to her box. But, Eyal? This has to be the last time you ask me for a favor." She rattled off the name and address I'd a bar about three blocks from the bank. "I'll meet you there at midnight," she said before abruptly ending the phone call.

Eyal gave Annie a half smile as he powered off the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

"That...ah...didn't sound as if it went all that well," Annie said, trying not to pry.

He shrugged. "Like I said. It had been a long time. Nina wasn't too pleased that I'd used her to get information after I quit Mossad. But she's going to help us. That's all that should matter right now."

Annie frowned. "I'm sorry."

Eyal shrugged. "Don't. I don't need an apology." He nodded to the taxis waiting outside the sliding glass doors. "We should go. We're meeting her at midnight."

He recited the address to the driver and settled into the back seat next to Annie. They were both silent as the car drove. Just over twenty minutes later, the car dropped them off across the street from the Credit Suisse main office and the building where Annie's safety deposit box was kept. It wasn't quite 11:30pm.

"Why did you have him drop us off here?" Annie asked, curiously. "Are we meeting your contact here? Outside?"

Eyal shook his head keeping his eyes on the building across the street. "We're meeting her about three blocks away. At a bar I've met her at before. I wanted to make sure we have some possible escape routes just in case..."

"Of course." They both continued to study the building including the quiet street in front of them and the train rail that ran perpendicular to them along the side of the bank.

After assessing the possibilities, he nodded and then glanced at his watch. "We should get going," he said nudging Annie. "Follow me. The bar is this way," he said leading her around a corner and down the street.

"Tell me about your contact. Nina."

Eyal looked back at Annie for a moment before focusing his eyes forward. "There's not much to tell. I did a favor for her years ago and in return she agreed to give me information for Mossad when I asked. It's not much more than that."

"So you and her... You've never?"

"Are you jealous?" he asked, flashing a smile at her.

She smiled back. "No, of course not. I was just...wondering. You always came across as very James Bond-like when you were with Mossad." She quickened her pace to fall into step with him.

He chuckled. "No. I didn't sleep with her." Eyal slowed for a moment before crossing to the other side of the street; Annie at his side. "I did what was necessary when it was necessary, though." He stopped in front of a little dive bar and turned to Annie. "And if it would have been necessary for me to then, I would have." There was a small frown on Annie's lips. "Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing?"

"I-". She shook her head. "You're right. I would and I have." Eyal raised an eyebrow at her. She cocked her head and looked into the bar. "So this is it, huh?"

"Yes. Come on." He led the way inside to a table able half way back and in the shadows. He glanced at his watch as they sat. "Ten minutes. She's always on time."

They sat without speaking and listening to the chatter of the night's patrons. Annie fidgeted with a napkin; smoothing it, crumpling it, and then smoothing it out again. She was becoming more agitated with each moment they had to wait for Nina. He'd seen her impatient before, but this was a bit different.

He was about to say something when movement at the front of the bar caught his eye. Standing in the doorway was a tall woman with long dark hair. Her skin was pale, but her lips were deep shade of red. She wore tight fitting black pants with a long cream colored sweater topped by a short black leather jacket. Nina had always been a stylish woman.

She scanned the room and quickly spotted Eyal. Her expression never changed but she cocked her head slightly before turning on her heal and retreating out the door.

Eyal stood immediately and tugged on Annie's arm resting on the table. "Time to go."

Annie nodded but didn't say anything.

Outside, Eyal pulled his coat closer. It was getting colder.

Nina was leaning against the wall of the next building. "Eyal," she said, eying him through the darkness.

"Nina."

She held up a hand before he could say anything else. "Let's go. We need to be quick," she spoke in accented english. She began walking quickly, Eyal and Annie following close behind. "I've gone into the office incredibly late at night before, so my walking in won't be an issue. I checked and the guard at the security desk is fairly new but I've flirted with him a bit, so we won't get stopped there." She glanced back at Annie. "I assume you have your key and code?"

"Of course," Annie answered, not breaking her pace.

"Good. You'll need to enter your code right after mine and then, once we're inside the vault we'll both need to use our keys to access the box. It shouldn't be too painful."

All three stopped when they reached the street across from the bank.

Nina used an ID badge to unlock a door off the side of the building. She quickly ushered Annie and Eyal inside before closing the door behind her. They walked quietly along a narrow hallway, the only noise the clicking of Nina's heels on the marble floor.

It was only another minute before they reached the security station. One half of the small room was taken up by a steel door with a keypad and card reader while the other half was taken up by a desk behind glass. The man behind the desk was younger, maybe late 20s or early 30s, with light blond hair and an ordinary looking face.

Nina nodded at the guard as she swiped her card and typed her passcode. He smiled and nodded as the door clicked open and she held it for Annie and Eyal to pass through.

Eyal placed his hand on the small of Annie's back and guided her past the security desk. Her eyes stayed glued on the guard until the door clicked shut again. When she turned to look at him, Eyal raised a single eyebrow in question.

Annie only shook her head and the three continued down another corridor until they reached an elevator. Nina pressed the down arrow quickly and stood back, crossing her arms over her chest. "We'll need to go down to get to the safety deposit box vault," she explained.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Nina entered first with Eyal and Annie close behind. She swiped her ID badge once again and selected the button for the second basement.

The doors opened at their floor and they spilled out into a large room. There was a large steel vault door at the opposite end of the room and what looked like cages lining either side of the room for viewing the contents of a box. On either side of the elevator were doors, one marked with "stairs" and the other, blank.

Eyal watched Nina as she strode over to the vault and opened a small hinged plastic box that covered the keypad on the door. She typed her passcode quickly and without hesitation. When she finished Annie took her place, fingers dancing over the keypad.

He watched intently. 5-0-3-7-0-6-8-1-1. His eyebrows rose slightly when Annie glanced over her shoulder at him. Each three digits were significant, but only to the two of them. The safe house in Zurich, his apartment in DC, the hotel room. All of these numbers meant something to him, but to anyone else, they were just numbers.

The two women entered the vault where Nina pulled a small key from her keychain and asked Annie what her box number was. Nina found the box quickly and inserted her key. She nodded at Annie and she reached into her jeans pocket and came out with the shiny key he'd kept for so long on the silver chain.

Annie slid her key into the empty lock on her box and the two women turned both simultaneously. There was a loud click and Annie pulled her safety deposit box free. The smile on her lips widened as she carried the box into the closest cage.

Eyal had always hated those things. Something about being locked in a cage made his skin crawl. He leaned against the bars on the outside and watched Annie open the box.

Nina frowned, standing just outside of the vault. Eyal eyed her as she spoke. "Look. I don't care what's inside that box, but I really don't want to see it. I'm just going to step into the hall," she gestured at the unmarked door next to the elevator. "Just call for me when you're done and I'll get you both out of the building."

He watched as Nina opened and closed the door behind her before turning to Annie. "Is everything there?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," she said pulling out a black leather bag and flipping open the flap. She pulled out a new passport and a bundle of euros. Out of the box she then pulled two thick files in dark brown folders. She quickly slipped the files into her bag and lifted the strap over her head. "Okay. That's everything. Lets get out of here and try to figure this out," she said with a smile standing in the doorway of the cage.

Eyal returned her smile and had just put his hand on her shoulder when the elevator chimed and the doors slid open. They both turned to find the security guard they'd met at the entrance striding out of the elevator, a gun in his hand.

"What the hell?" Annie asked loudly.

Eyal's other hand had instinctively gone into his pocket and gripped his gun. He contemplated whether or not he could be fast enough to shoot the guard before the guard could shoot him, or worse, Annie. Eyal couldn't chance that the guard might kill Annie, so he eased his fingers from the gun and slid his hand out of his pocket.

"Get in the cage. Both of you," the guard said, steel in his voice.

Annie didn't move from the doorway. "Who are you?" her voice was cold as ice. Her eyes narrowed and her face became stone.

"It doesn't matter," he answered, keeping his gun trained on Annie. "The agency is on its way so they can take you back to Langley."

"I knew it," Annie hissed. "I thought I recognized you when we came in. I met you in London four years ago."

Out of the corner of his eye, Eyal saw the unmarked door open and close silently as Nina slipped back into the room. He slipped his hand back into his pocket and once again gripped the gun.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nina asked, her question echoing in the room.

As the guard turned in surprise, Eyal made his move. Quickly, he pulled the weapon from his pocket, and, using the butt of the gun, he clocked the other man near his temple. Instantly, the guard crumpled to the floor.

"Shit," Nina gasped.

"We've got to get out of here, fast," Annie said, hurrying across the room and grasping Nina's arm. "What's the quickest way?"

"Shit," he heard Nina say again as he jogged to meet the two women at the door marked "stairs". "We'll have to take the stairs. The only way to get out without setting off alarms is with my key card," she said as they pulled the door open and climbed.

When they reached the floor they'd come in on, Nina led them down the corridor in the opposite direction. "This way," she said, out of breath.

At the end of the corridor, the exit loomed in front of them.

As they approached, Annie pulled a gun from her bag and Eyal grinned. "Prepared, for a change?" he asked.

"I'm always prepared," Annie said with a half smile and cradling her gun in her hand.

Nina pulled her card from her jacket pocket. "Look. Across the street is a rail station. You can grab a train there to the main station. From there you can get a train to almost anywhere. It's probably best if you two get out of town, especially if the CIA is after you." She looked pointedly at Eyal. "Like I said before. This is the last time, Eyal. I'm done. I won't do any more favors for you or Mossad."

"Understood." Eyal nodded as she turned and swiped her card. The door clicked and Annie pulled it open letting him slip through first. Seeing no one, he gestured for Annie to follow.

Nina slipped out behind them and as soon as the door clicked shut she took off in the opposite direction.

"Hey-" Annie began until Eyal wrapped his hand around her wrist. He shook his head.

"No," he said quietly. "It's better to let her be."

They crept across the empty stone sidewalk, keeping to the shadows and Eyal leading the way. He could hear the rumble of the approaching train as they ran over the tracks. He still held his weapon loosely in his hand even though there didn't seem to be a soul in sight. In reality, he knew there was always someone watching.

Annie pulled some euros from her bag and bought two tickets for the next train at the automated teller. The train wasn't far away. They would easily be able to catch it in the next few minutes, but at the same time Eyal could hear cars approaching on the opposite street.

"Shit," he heard Annie say under her breath. "Just go with this, okay?" Before he had a chance to say anything, Annie's hands reached behind his neck and pulled him down so that his lips met hers in a frantic kiss.

She'd caught him by surprise and it took a moment for him to respond. All of his senses were so consumed in the kiss that he barely heard the screeching tires of the SUVs pulling up outside Credit Suisse or squealing of the train as it stopped before him. All of his thoughts were on Annie.

She broke from him suddenly and pulled on his arm. "Let's get on," she whispered.

Inside the car she sat down next to a window looking out at the bank. "I don't think they noticed us," Annie gasped, her voice a little horse.

Eyal sat down next to her and peered out the window as well. "I think you're right," he said, his mind reeling and his own heart beating a little too fast.


	7. Heartlines

His fingers grasped the cold brick as his feet searched for a foothold. This had been a terrible idea but she had insisted that climbing to the roof was their only option. He swore under his breath when his foot found a tiny piece of brick which snapped when he tried to put the tiniest of weight on it.

He searched slightly to the left and found another brick jutting out just enough for him to use. He tried not to think of the eighteen stories between him and the ground and tried to focus instead on the two more they had yet to climb.

"We're almost there," Annie said breathlessly to his right. A bright smile was painted across her lips. "It's not so bad, right?"

He almost laughed.

Annie pulled herself up another foot and stepped over onto a narrow window ledge.

"You know, Annie," he said, his breath ragged. "I'm really getting too old for this." He grunted quietly as he found another foothold and pushed himself up a little farther.

"Another two floors and we're-" as she spoke, Annie shifted her weight to one foot and the stone ledge began to crumble. Her feet slipped out from under her fingers gripped tighter on the top ledge. "Eyal!" she gasped.

He was frozen in pace and even if he could move, there was nothing he could do to help her. "Annie! Annie, hold on," he called even as he could see the stone crumbling beneath her finger tips.

Her eyes were huge and scared. She screamed as the last of the stone gave way and she began to fall.

"Annie! No!"

Eyal's eyes flew open. His heart pounded in his chest. He could still hear the screams as she fell echoing in his head.

"Hey, are you okay?" Annie asked as her fingers wrapped around his forearm.

Eyal leaned his head back in his seat and closed his eyes for just a moment. They were on a train to Barcelona. It was just the dream, again. "Yes. I'm fine," he said turning to look at her, placing a half smile on his face.

Annie gave him a skeptical look but didn't say anything.

He rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes hoping to drive away some of the sleep. "How many times have you read those files now?" he asked as she slid the pages back into one of the brown folders.

"Too many," she admitted. "I keep looking at these files but I don't see anything that I could have possibly missed. You looked at them too. Did you see anything that popped out?"

He had read the file while they had been waiting in the small 24 hour cafe in the early Sunday morning hours after finding out that the next train that would get them to Barcelona wouldn't leave until that afternoon. Until then they had plenty of time to lay low and read up on Annie's op.

They had both sat at the tiny table drinking coffee and studying every page one by one looking for something, anything, that could help them figure out who had burned her. It had to be someone that was connected to the counterfeit ring, but in the early hours of the morning neither could find the information they were looking for.

By mid morning they both needed a break and had gone out to the busiest parts of the city to get food and new clothes. The CIA surely would have had a chance to view the security tapes and would be searching the city for them. They needed to change their appearance enough to not be noticed easily.

They'd returned to the main rail station shortly before their train was scheduled to depart having only had to shake a police tail once. Eyal had known that the CIA wouldn't be too far behind them and half expected them be apprehended when he and Annie transferred stations in Paris.

But there had been no one waiting for them.

Eyal's surprise quickly gave way to exhaustion and it wasn't long before the rocking of the train from Paris to Barcelona put him to sleep.

"Do you know you snore?" Annie asked pulling him out of his thoughts.

Eyal smiled and chuckled lightly. "Is that so?" he asked playfully.

"It was actually kind of endearing. You look so relaxed when you're sleeping. It's becoming on you." A hint of blush appeared on her cheeks.

This time he laughed louder. "Are you saying you'd like me better if I was sleeping?" His smile grew wider.

"Please," she sighed feigning annoyance. "You know what I mean."

"Maybe when this is all over with you should come spend some time with me in Athens. You can see me truly at peace."

The blush of her cheeks deepened and she opened up one of her folders again.  
Eyal watched her in silence for a few minutes before picking up the second folder again. He'd already seen all the words before. The names and faces he could probably pick out in his sleep.

The CIA had been tracking two brothers, Felix and Marco Rubio, a couple years before Annie had joined their organization. They ran a counterfeit organization out Barcelona behind the front of a legitimate import company.

Annie had started out on the legitimate side of the company as a secretary and quickly rose to moving paperwork for the company. That's when she slowly got brought into the illegitimate side of the business. At first, it was still just paperwork, but when she could provide contacts that were useful in moving their goods, the brothers began trusting her with more and more information. If they'd only known who she really was.

"Marco," Annie sighed. "He's the one we need to get to."

"You're sure?" he asked glancing up from the file.

Her face was set. "Yes. Marco isn't as strong willed as his brother. We can break him to find out exactly who burned me."

"So where do we find Marco on a Monday?"

"That's easy," she said with a smile. "He's at their warehouse in the Port of Barcelona."

Eyal nodded and checked his watch. There was still about an hour and a half until they reached Barcelona's Franca Station. "Hey," he said eying the circles beginning to form under Annie's eyes. "We've got some time. Why don't you try to get a little rest."

Signs of protest crossed her face before she yawned widely. "I guess I could use a bit of a nap." She leaned back in her seat and sighed deeply as she closed her eyes.

He watched her as her body began to relax and her breathing slow. It didn't take long before she was asleep and Eyal was gathering up her papers into their folders and sliding them into his leather bag. Annie's sudden movement startled him when in her sleep she wrapped her arms around his and settled her cheek onto his shoulder breathing another deep sigh.

He reached with his free hand and brushed a lock of blond hair behind her ear before turning to watch the countryside blur past the train's window. He wondered vaguely what she was dreaming about; if it was him she was really reaching out for, or someone else.

Eyal gently nudged Annie awake as the train slowed to approach the Franca Station. "Hey. We're here," he whispered close to her ear.

Annie's eyes flew open. She quickly let go of his arm and jerked her head from his shoulder. "Already?" she asked blinking the sleep from her eyes. "The files?"

"I've got them," he said patting his leather bag sitting on the table in front of them.

She pulled her own bag from off the floor into her lap. She reached in and pulled out a baseball cap and handed it to Eyal. "Here. Put this on," she said as she began twisting her hair. He watched as she pinned her hair on top of her head and reached back into her bag again pulling out a long dark scarf. She pulled it over her head and wrapped it around her neck effectively hiding most of her features.

Eyal turned back to the windows and slipped the baseball cap on his head bending the rim as he did. As the train came to a stop and they stood, he kept his eyes on the windows. There were crowds of people milling all around the platforms. There were security personnel, too, but nothing seemed to be out of ordinary.

They followed closely to a group of travelers exiting the train and made their way out to the street using other groups for camouflage. Outside, Annie hailed a taxi and gave the address of a small cafe a few blocks away from the Rubio brothers' warehouse.

They sat down in a corner booth, both facing the front of the cafe. Eyal handed her a cup of coffee. "Talk to me about the warehouse," he said.

"We'll," Annie said, lacing her fingers around the cup, "Mondays are the quietest there. There are usually only a handful of security around. Four to six people, depending on what's inside the warehouse at that given time.

The warehouse itself is mostly open air with the exception the third floor which is used for storage and a handful of offices in the back on the ground floor; Marco's is in the center. He usually spends Mondays doing paperwork."

"What about security?" Eyal asked, taking a long drink of his hot coffee.

"There are cameras throughout the warehouse and on each of the entrances. On top of that are the guards."

"So getting inside unnoticed is going to be tricky. Okay."

"Yeah, tricky is right, but once we get inside there will be plenty of cover. I've never been there when there wasn't pallets of goods stacked at least eight feet high. It can be like a maze in there, so if we can get in quietly, I think we can overtake the guards."

"Maybe," Eyal said running his hand over his face. "But what about the video feed? Won't someone be watching it?"

Annie shook her head. "Doubtful, unless Marco has changed his ways. I've heard Felix yell at him multiple times about not paying attention to the monitors when he's in the warehouse."

They sat in silence for a few minutes contemplating and drinking their coffee. He took a deep breath and sighed. If they were going to get anywhere with this, they were going to have to have eyes on the building.

Eyal finished his coffee and set the cup back on the table. He eyed a matchbook lying next to an empty ashtray on the next table over. He reached over and plucked it up, flipping it around in his fingers before dropping it in his coat pocket.

Annie eyed him curiously.

"I think," Eyal said, meeting Annie's gaze, "it's time we get our eyes on the outside of the warehouse."

They left the cafe and walked together silently until they reached the street across from their target. Eyal immediately spotted an alley and slipped inside with Annie following close behind. They stood in the shadows, both contemplating the best way to enter the warehouse unnoticed.

From the front, the building was a simple box of brick. There was little distinguish it from the rest of the waterfront businesses except for a faded sign that hung above a simple steel sliding door. Entering from the street side was no good; Eyal wanted to see their options from the back.

He turned to Annie who was glaring at the building; knowing that the man who could shed some light on her situation was probably behind that door somewhere. "Do me a favor," he said not taking his eyes off her, "Keep watch out front. I'm going to check the back."

Annie flicked her eyes to meet his and nodded silently as she clutched the strap of her bag.

Eyal studied her for a moment before nodding as well. "Ten minutes. Fifteen, tops. If I don't come back..."

"If you don't come back, I will come after you." Her eyes narrowed, daring him to contradict her.

He smiled and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before slipping out of the alley and down the block.

Eyal stuck to the shadows as much as possible as he made his way around the building next to the warehouse. The alley was narrow and his footsteps echoed on the stone. As he approached the opening, he pulled the baseball cap low over his eyes and slipped his hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the butt of his gun. He was just doing surveillance, but it didn't hurt to be prepared.

He casually stepped out from the alley and made his way across the paved back lot behind the Rubio's warehouse. Eyal studied the back door and loading dock as he walked past. They were much the same as the door in front; steel with no windows and a camera trained on them from above.

He frowned as he made his way back to the alley where he'd left Annie. This was going to be even more tricky than he'd originally hoped. As he slipped back into the shadows, he said, "It looks like-"

He froze in place and fear seized his chest. Annie was gone.


	8. Girl With One Eye

Eyal spun on his heel and pulled the gun from his pocket. His eyes scanned the street in front of him as he readied his weapon. If they'd taken Annie in the few minutes that he'd been gone, they were close by.

He spun again as he heard the echo of footfalls on the alley wall. He steadied his weapon, aiming at the figure running toward him.

"Eyal, it's me," Annie called breathlessly.

He lowered his gun, blinking. "Shit, Annie," he spat. "Where were you? I told you to stay here."

"I had an idea," she said, ignoring him. She grinned as she came to a stop at his side. She tugged on his arm and pointed to the building next to the warehouse. "The building next door. It's empty."

Eyal eyed the building across the street that made up one side of the alley he'd just walked through minutes before. It was nearly identical to the warehouse; three stories of brick.

"I just checked," she continued. "There's a door on the other side and the lock is broken. We just need to get to the roof and jump the alley. If I remember right, there's a door on the roof that leads down into the third floor storage."

"I..." He studied the roof and the open space between. Was it really that much different than their run across the roofs in Athens two days before. Could that really have only been two days ago, he wondered. "Do you think it will work? There's no security up there?"

"I'm sure," Annie said looking Eyal directly in the eye. "It's the best way in."

He gave a quick nod. He trusted her and she knew that warehouse better than him. "We have to take of something first." He glanced down the alley and spotted a small discarded metal trash can.

"Take care of what?" She asked as she hurried to keep up as he made his way to the trash can.

"If something happens and we're captured, we can't have your files on us."

"What are you going to do?"

Eyal pulled the papers from his bag and dropped the in the trash can as he crouched down beside it. He picked up a few sheets and produced the matchbook he'd taken from the cafe. "I'm going to burn them," he answered lighting the pages and dropping them into the trash can.

"Eyal!" she protested in a harsh whisper.

"We've both read those pages so many times we can both probably recite them in our sleep." He watched as flames engulfed the files. It didn't take long before all that was left were ashes. He tipped over the can and stamped out any of the glowing embers, checking to make sure everything had burned before looking up at Annie's scowling face. "What?"

She rubbed her hand over her face and sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just worried about all of this."

"Hey," Eyal said slowly standing and taking her face between his hands. Her skin was warm and soft to touch. "We're going to figure this out." His eyes searched hers and he dropped his hands.

He always tried so hard to not to touch her for fear of the emotions that coursed through him every time he did. He wanted to hold her close to him; wrap his arms around her and protect her from all evil shit in the world. "I promise," he added, "we're going to find out the truth."

Annie nodded quickly shifting her gaze.

"Okay," Eyal said. "Come on." He made his way to the alley's opening letting Annie follow behind. "Are you ready?" he asked as she came to stand next to him.

"Yeah," she said, finally, determination in her voice. "Let's do this."

Annie led the way across the street and to the side of the neighboring building. She slid open the steel door just enough for the both if them to slip through.

The building had once been a warehouse, Eyal guessed from the open floor layout but must have been abandoned for quite some time. Trash now littered the floors and graffiti covered the walls. The only light filtered in through the dirty ground floor windows.

Eyal followed Annie to the far side of the building and up the metal staircase to the third floor storage loft. Their footsteps echoed in the deafening quiet.

Annie reached the door to the roof quickly and clambered up the stairs to the roof with Eyal close behind. He made his way to the edge and looked across the expanse between the buildings. It was farther than he remembered from the ground.

"How's your ankle?" he asked trying to judge the distance.

"It's feeling pretty good. I can make it," she answered with a smile and laid a hand on his arm. She backed up, sprinted toward the edge and leap before he could say a word. His heart nearly stopped while she was in the air. Finally, she landed, tucking herself into a roll.

"Annie," Eyal gasped.

He shook his head when she stood up and dusted the pebbles from her jeans. Eyal took a few paces backwards, took a deep breath, and ran. He counted his steps and jumped when he reached the edge. I'm too old for this he thought to himself as he landed on the other side, skidding to a halt.

Eyal studied the roof around him, spinning in a slow circle the pebbles crunching beneath his feet. "There's no roof access door, Annie."

"Yeah. I noticed." Annie stood next to him, frowning. "I could have sworn there was a door. We're going to have to use the fire escape. Over there." She pointed to the far side of the roof and walked, limping slightly.

"Hey." Eyal caught Annie's arm and pulled her to a stop. "Your ankle. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," she insisted, tugging Eyal to the edge of the roof. They both peered over.

Below the metal platform jutted out from the side of the building. He quickly slipped over the side of the building and landed with a soft clang. He beckoned to Annie, "Jump. I'll catch you." Eyal smiled up at her.

As Annie scrambled over the edge, he reached up catching her around the waist. He lowered her gently onto the platform. He hesitated a moment before releasing his hands.

She crouched down and tugged at the window. It moved an inch before the pane stuck. "Help me," she whispered as Eyal knelt down next to her.

"On three. One. Two. Three." They both pulled at the same time, sliding the window open. "Ladies first," he said with a half smile, stepping to the side.

Annie slipped over the window sill and landed lightly on the storage room floor. "Come on," she said as he dropped down through the window next to her.

They moved quietly through the maze of boxes making sure to not cause any noise.

"The room doesn't run the full length of the warehouse," Annie explained in a hushed whisper as they walked. "Outside the door is a walkway that runs the perimeter of the building. The stairs down to the floor are on the right. From the walkway we should be able to see how many guards we're dealing with."

Annie opened the door and peered through, making sure the coast was clear. She beckoned for him to follow as she opened the door wider and she slipped through.

They both dropped to a crouch and peered over the walkway's railing. Eyal's eyes searched the warehouse floor. There were rows and rows of pallets stacked high with unmarked product which would make good cover for them.

Annie silently pointed out four guards patrolling between the pallets. "We take out those two first," she whispered, indicating two guards that had stopped to talk near the stairs.

"I thought you said there would also be a guard on each of the doors?" he hissed, gripping her arm before she could move.

"I..." She frowned. "There used to be. There aren't any there, though."

Eyal frowned too. "Be careful. We may be dealing with more than we can see." He pulled his gun from his pocket and Annie did the same as he nodded to the stairs. "Let's go."

They crept silently to the stairs keeping as low as possible and made their way to the ground floor. Gripping his gun tightly in his hand, Eyal pressed his back against a stack of crates as Annie did the same. He took a deep breath and risked a quick glance.

Two pallets away stood the two guards that they'd spotted from the walkway above. The guards stood, talking, their weapons hanging loosely at their sides and their backs to the crates Eyal and Annie hid behind. Careless, he thought, but to their advantage.

Looking back at her, he held up two fingers and gave a quick jerk of his head indicating around the corner. He brought one finger to his lips and Annie curtly nodded.

They slipped out from behind the crates and were behind the guards in a matter of seconds. Eyal raised his weapon and cracked the guard in his temple as Annie did the same. Both guards crumpled to the floor with a soft thud.

Eyal pulled the assault rifle from the other man's shoulder and set it aside as he checked the guards pockets. In a pocket inside the guard's jacket, Eyal found a handful of zip-ties.

He took a few himself and gave the rest to Annie to bind her own guard. He bound the man's wrists behind his back and tightened a tie around the guard's ankles. Annie and Eyal worked quickly and quietly hoping to not alert the other two guards patrolling.

After dragging the two unconscious men behind some crates, Eyal tugged on Annie's wrist, pulling her close so he could whisper in her ear as they crouched over the guards. "Go. Find Marco and hold him. I'll take care of the other two guards."

Annie opened her mouth to reply but was startled by the squawk of a radio in the pocket of one of the guards. Her eyes widened for a moment at the radio peeking out of the man's pocket. A voice on the other end asked if everything was okay.

She looked up into his eyes, knowing just as well as he did that it wouldn't take long for the other two to check on their silent comrades. She laid her hand on his and smiled. "Be careful," she whispered.

Eyal released her wrist and gave her a small smirk. "I'm always careful. Now go." He nodded toward the offices at the back of the warehouse as Annie slung one of the assault rifles across her back and slipped past him and into the maze of pallets and crates.

Eyal slung the other assault rifle across his own back but kept his own gun gripped tightly in his hand. He took in a deep breath and stepped out from behind the crates aiming his weapon in front of him. The aisle ahead was clear.

He crept forward slowly, listening to his surroundings. At the next intersection, he stopped, again pressing his back up against a stack of crates. He held his breath and listened.

And then he heard it; a telltale footstep.

Eyal let out his breath silently. He wedged a toe between two crates and pulled himself up to peer over the stack. He could just barely make out the tops of the two guards' heads.

He let himself drop back to the ground, careful to not make a sound. He'd have only one chance but he did have the element of surprise on his side. He took a couple deep breaths and cleared his mind letting all of his years with Mossad take over.

He waited until the barrel of the guard's weapon became visible before reaching out his hand and wrapping his fingers around the barrel. Eyal pulled with as much force as could causing the guard to stumble forward. With his other hand, Eyal seized the man's arm just above his elbow and wrenched it as well as the weapon behind his back. The assault rifle clattered to the floor and he shoved the first guard into the stack of crates on the opposite side of the walkway.

Eyal spun and kicked out at the second guard, who had been been following a few paces behind the first guard. He had stood, stunned for a moment, and was aiming his weapon as Eyal's foot made contact with his hand. He cried out as the gun flew from his hand and skidded a few feet down the walkway.

Eyal swung his fist at the second guard, connecting with the man's chin. He pulled back again and aimed at the man's nose this time and feeling the crack of bone as his fist made contact. Finally, Eyal slammed the palm of his hand into the guard's chin, snapping his head back as his body fell against the crates and slid motionlessly to the floor.

A hand grasped Eyal's shoulder and spun him around as the first guard's fist connected with the corner of his mouth. Eyal saw stars and tasted blood as he staggered back into the stack of crates. He blinked quickly and ducked, narrowly missing the guard's fist as it slammed into the crate just an inch above his head.

Eyal doubled over and threw his shoulder into the guard's abdomen throwing both men off balance and tumbling onto the floor. He dug his knee into the other man's solar plexus and forearm into his neck, putting as much of his weight as possible onto the man's windpipe cutting off his air supply.

The guard clawed at Eyal's arm, drawing blood, but he gritted his teeth and held on until the man's body went limp. He eased his arm up and checked to make sure he hadn't choked the man for too long. Eyal rolled on to the floor and attempted to catch his breath.

He wiped the blood that had trickled from the corner of his mouth and stood up, the taste of copper lingering on his lips. He quickly secured the wrists and ankles of both of the unconscious guards with zip-ties. He picked up the abandoned weapons and studied them debating whether to hold on to them or not when a shot rang out in the quiet warehouse.

"Annie," Eyal gasped, his eyes widening in fear.

He tossed the weapons on top of the crates and ran to the offices at the back of the building. As he approached, Eyal could see the door to the center office was ajar. He slowed and readied the gun he pulled from his pocket leaving the assault rifle he'd taken from the first guard still strapped across his back.

He took a deep breath and nudged the door all the way open with his foot. He leveled the gun in front of him and swept the room.

Across from him, behind the desk in a tall leather chair, sat a dark haired, olive skinned man Eyal recognized as Marco from Annie's files. He clutched his left arm, blood seeping through his fingers. Marco wore a sneer on his face but fear consumed his eyes.

To the right of the office desk, gun trained on Marco's head, an eye on her captive and the other on the door, stood Annie. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "What took you so long?"  
"I had some things to take care of. Are you okay?" Eyal asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Marco, on the other hand, is bleeding." Eyal raised an eyebrow. "He thought that reaching for the gun taped to the underside of the desk's center drawer was a good idea. I had warned him not to move. He didn't listen."

Annie shrugged as Eyal walked to the opposite side of the desk, reached under, and retrieved Marco's gun. He slid the extra weapon into the waistband of his jeans and turned to Annie. "Keep your eyes on him while I secure his hands. If he tries anything," Eyal said as he slipped his own gun back in his pocket, "shoot him in the other arm."

Annie's lips curled up in an icy smile as she answered, "With pleasure."

Eyal quickly secured Marco's hands in front of him using one of the zip-ties. He rummaged through the messy desk drawers before finding a grimy looking rag. Eyal tore off a strip and tied it tightly over Marco's wound. It wouldn't help if he passed out from blood loss before he could answer their questions.

Annie let out a deep breath and set her gun down on the desk next to her as Eyal stepped away from Marco. "How did you find out?"

"What are you talking about?" Marco sneered.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't bullshit me. How did you find out I'm CIA?"

"You're CIA?" Marco asked, a grin spreading over his lips.

"Don't fuck with me, Marco." Annie's hand curled around the butt of her weapon. "I don't have a problem with shooting your other arm."

Eyal raised his hand. "Annie," he purred, "no one needs to shoot anyone." He turned to Marco and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, Marco, just give us the information we need and we'll leave."

"And who the hell are you anyway?" Marco eyed Eyal carefully.

He shrugged. "A friend."

"Maybe if you could keep your bitch under control-"

Annie leapt at Marco before Eyal could stop her. Her small fist connected with the man's nose and he howled in pain. Eyal wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Annie, back off." He could almost hear her snarl as she moved to the far wall of the office and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just give us a name, Marco, and we'll walk away."

"There's no name to give. We had her pegged from the very beginning." Blood trickled from his nose.

"Bullshit." The anger in Annie's voice was searing. Eyal turned to look at Annie, narrowing his eyes. He had never seen her acting quite like this before. Normally, she was calm and rational while he came in ready to shoot.

He turned back to Marco without a word to Annie. He took a deep breath and continued. "Look. I'm sure you don't want my friend to shoot you in the other arm or worse, your head. Just give us a name."

"I don't know shit," Marco responded.

"Fuck," Eyal spat out letting his irritation show. "I'm tired of this game of yours. Give me something I can use." He readied his gun and jammed the barrel into the soft spot on the underside of Marco's jaw. Eyal grasped a handful of the man's hair and pulled, forcing Marco to look him directly in the eye. "I'm not normally as patient as I have been today."

"Okay, okay," Marco howled. "Jonathan Atwater."

Eyal loosened his grip. The name was familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He glanced over to Annie who had slipped slipped closer. Her face had paled to a deathly white. "Annie?"

She shook her head. "No. That can't be right."

Marco laughed. "Can't believe one of your own would sell you out? From what I hear he's also made you out to be a traitor."

"Annie?" Eyal asked.

"You've been sold out by the CIA, Annie Walker. And now my brother and I are going to kill you and your whole family."

"Annie, no!" Eyal cried. But it was too late. She pulled the trigger and the gun went off like a small explosion in the tiny office. Marco's head snapped back into the leather desk chair and a trickle of blood spilled from the bullet hole in the center of his forehead.

Eyal stood, stunned. He'd seen her shoot a man before, but never had he seen her kill a man in vengeance. It was unnerving.

Annie turned to look at him as she pocketed her weapon. "We need to go," she said, her face like stone; her voice emotionless.

Eyal grasped her wrist as she turned to walk past him. "Wait, Annie. Jonathan Atwater. You know that name."

"Yes, I do." Annie looked up, meeting his gaze. "You should know his name too."

"What do you mean?" he asked narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips.

"Eyal, Jonathan Atwater is an assistant director at the CIA and signs off on all operations in the Special Projects Office. My office. We've got to go to D.C."


	9. Never Let Me Go

Washington D.C. He hadn't thought about how long it had been since he'd last been in the city until he stepped off the plane. At one time, he'd made a habit to visit once every couple months at least to check on his apartment. Sometimes even more often than that when Annie was in town.

Of course, that was more than three years ago. For the last two years Eyal had hired a caretaker to check on the apartment from time to time. He kept thinking he should just sell the place, but he just couldn't seem to let go of it even though he'd moved any personal items out long before.

He stretched his tall frame and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. The past 24 hours had been exhausting.

Once they got out of the warehouse in Barcelona, he and Annie immediately tossed their weapons. They spent most of the afternoon taking various routes around the city and backtracking so that they could make sure no one was following them. The lack of CIA presence the entire time they'd been in Barcelona unnerved him.

At the airport he found himself pacing and trying to figure out a plan. They booked a flight to Washington via London, but they needed a diversion to throw anyone who might be following them off of their trail. Finally, Eyal called an old hacker friend who was able to get into the airline and book their aliases on numerous flights to various destinations in Europe. It wasn't the best of options, but it would have to do.

They'd boarded their flight in the early evening and landed in London a couple hours later without any problems. Eyal found a hotel near the airport and got a room for them using a fake name and cash. He had urged Annie to sleep while he kept watch during the night.

He'd sat on the window ledge all night, intending on watching for anyone that could have possibly made them. He found himself, though, watching Annie while she slept as well. The emotions he'd been attempting to keep at bay rolled over him and Eyal desperately wanted a drink.

As she lay, with one arm wrapped around a pillow and her blond hair splayed around her face, he watched her quiet breathing and found himself brushing a lock of hair from over her closed eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed and worried. He had always feared that one day being a spy would change Annie. He had never really wanted that to happen, and here it had.

Finally he stood and returned to the window. He pushed all his worries about Annie aside and steeled himself hoping that Annie's changes were just a product of her current stress.

Eyal sat down on the ledge and leaned his head against the window. The night went by slowly and he tried to stifle his thoughts but every time he looked over at the bed, he couldn't help but think of how much of a mess her situation had ended up becoming. At least they had a name now, but that name was a highly ranked CIA official.

Going to Washington now was going to be risky. The CIA, he was sure, would have eyes on all the incoming flights and would know the minute they landed. Eyal had yet to figure out a way to avoid detection. But, as he watched the sun rise, a few ideas began to form in his mind but nothing was all that feasible.

A few hours later Annie and Eyal boarded their flight to Washington.

"You look exhausted," she'd said as she settled into her seat next to the window.

He shrugged. "A bit."

She smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you sleep? Even if there is anyone on this flight out to get us, there is no way we'd be able to escape. Besides, I've saved your ass enough times in the past that I think I can handle anything that might happen."

Eyal chuckled lightly. "Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I give up." He settled himself into his seat as best as he could, closed his eyes and fell asleep still feeling the warmth of Annie's hand on his shoulder.

Hours later Annie and Eyal were standing at their terminal contemplating their next move.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"It's been a long time since I was last in DC. It feels a bit strange to be standing here again." She shook her head and looked up at him. "I'm worried. The agency probably already knows we're here."

"Maybe. If they know, they know. There's not much we can do about that." Eyal shrugged. "Before anything else, though, we need to make a stop." He grasped her wrist and tugged her in the direction of the baggage claim and the airport taxis.

"Where?" she asked, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"There are a few things we're going to need," he answered as they threaded through the afternoon crowd in the Dulles airport. Just outside the sliding glass doors, Eyal found a cab and they both slid into the back seat. He gave the driver directions and leaned back into the seat.

"Your apartment? This is a bad idea, Eyal."

He turned to look at Annie's frowning face. "The CIA is going to have eyes on all your contacts here in Washington in hopes you turn to them. I have some supplies hidden there. Do you have a better idea?"

She sighed. "No, but I still don't think us going to your apartment is a smart move."

"No. You're going to stay out of sight and I'm not actually going up to the apartment. I have an emergency pack stashed in the basement storage locker. I'm going to go in, grab the pack, and then we're going to go to ground until we can figure out our next move."

"The agency is probably watching for your too, you know," Annie said, the frown still on her face. "No, I know they'll be watching for you. They know we're friends and they know about your apartment. It's not going to take them long to figure out you flew into town and who came with you."

"That's why I need to go get the emergency pack alone."

She watched him for a minute before relenting. "Fine. But I'll be close by."

"I don't expect anything else," Eyal said.

They were quiet as the taxi pulled up outside the apartment building. Eyal pulled some cash from his pocket and handed it to the driver before turning to Annie. "Get out at the end of the block and circle back to the café at the corner," he said pointing behind them. "I'll meet you there." She nodded as he opened the door and slipped out.

Eyal looked up at the building that housed his apartment with longing. There was a bed up there... A comfortable bed and a shower as well. Oh what he wouldn't give for a shower at that moment. He decided that as soon as he possibly could, a shower would be on his agenda.

He glanced left and right before quietly slipping around the corner. He carefully studied each of the basement windows deliberately to decipher which would be the one to lead him into the storage locker room.

About halfway down the alley he found it. The window was smaller than he remembered and Eyal vaguely wished Annie had insisted on coming with him. He knelt down next to it and slowly worked his fingers into the small space wedging the window open inch by inch. Luckily, it hadn't been locked.

Eyal gritted his teeth and pulled, finally wrenching the window all the way open. He glanced both ways before dropping his leather bag through. It landed on the floor with a soft thud. The alley was quiet; not a soul in sight.

He put his worries out of his mind and slid through the tight fitting window and dropped soundlessly onto the cement basement floor picking up his leather bag in the process.

Eyal recognized his storage locker across the room. It was a four by four foot cage locked by a combination lock he'd picked up at a hardware store a few blocks away. It had been about six years since he'd bought that lock, but he still remembered the combination.

He unlocked the gate and swung it open, immediately going to a box in the corner marked 'shoes'. He tore off the lid and tipped the box over spilling shoes over the floor before a small safe tumbled out on top of the pile.

He typed in another string of numbers and opened the lid carefully. Inside lay two 9mm SIG Sauers, the kind federal law enforcement preferred, and four fully loaded clips.

He clicked the first clip in place and slipped the gun into the waistband at the back of his jeans before loading the second gun and stashing it into his leather bag along with the two extra clips. In the bottom there were a few stacks of American cash. He almost left the money, but changed his mind the next minute thinking that it wouldn't hurt to have more liquid funds.

He was just closing the safe's lid when he heard it, the tell-tale squeak of the stairs outside the basement door. For a moment he froze, chiding himself for not paying more attention. He stood quickly and spun in a circle.

Eyal pulled the SIG from the waist of his jeans and readied it as he rushed to the door. He pressed his back against the wall and took a deep breath. It took another few minutes before the door opened and a man stepped through, cautiously, his weapon raised.

Eyal reached out and grasped the man's arm, pulling him forward. He stumbled and Eyal wrenched the arm to the side. The man yelled and dropped the weapon before spinning and landing a fist into Eyal's diaphragm.

He coughed but didn't let go of the man's wrist. He growled and swung the butt of the gun into the side of his attacker's face, knocking him to the ground where the man groaned and touched the side of his face.

Eyal only had a moment before a second man snaked an arm around his neck and grasped the wrist of the hand holding the SIG before slamming it against the door frame. Eyal grunted and dropped his weapon as he swung his arm back and caught the second attacker in the ribs. The man wheezed and Eyal doubled over, throwing the man over his shoulder.

He reached down to retrieve his SIG when he was hit in the back of his neck from behind. Eyal fell to the cement, hitting his forehead on the cold stone. He picked himself up onto his hands and knees and looked back over his shoulder to see the first man standing over him welding a baseball bat that must have been laying near the doorway.

Eyal cursed himself under his breath and kicked out his leg, catching the man around his ankle, knocking him flat on his back and into the other assailant who had made it halfway to standing. Eyal got to his feet as quickly as he could and rushed to the door. His head throbbed where he had hit it on the concrete but he pushed the pain down and hurried up the stairs and outside onto the sidewalk in front of the apartment building.

He began hurrying down the street when a motorcycle whined to a stop next to him. He was about to raise his gun when he recognized the blond hair spilling out from beneath the driver's helmet. "What the-"

"Get on," Annie called, flipping up her shield and throwing him a second helmet.

Eyal slipped his weapon back into his waistband and slipped on the helmet. As he jumped onto the back of the motorcycle he glanced back to see his two attackers hurrying out of the building. "Go, Annie, go!" he called out, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She flipped down her shield and called back to him as she revved the engine, "Hold on tight!" The bike shot forward with a screech and Eyal tightened his hold. "And don't let go!"


	10. Between Two Lungs

They wound their way through the streets of Washington before Annie finally pulled into the Union Station parking garage. Eyal quickly dismounted and pulled off his helmet. Annie did the same, shaking out her hair.

"Those guys from the apartment building, CIA, right?" Eyal asked.

"Yeah," she said taking the helmet from his hand setting them both on the seat of the bike. "I recognized them entering the building, but I didn't have a way to warn you so I found us a quick escape and hoped you would take care of things fast." Annie turned back to him and studied his face. "Eyal, you're bleeding."

He reached up and touched his forehead just above his right eye. He pulled his hand away and found blood coating his fingertips. "I hit my head," he explained. "I almost forgot."

Annie's lips curled up in a smile and she shook her head. She reached into her bag and pulled out the scarf she'd worn in Barcelona. She stood on her tip-toes and wiped away as much blood as she could.

"Thanks," he said, watching her stuff the scarf back in her bag. "Come on. Lets go inside. We'll get lost in the crowd for a while then decide what to do next." She nodded and started to walk when he thought of something. "Oh, wait." He laid a hand on her shoulder and dug his other in his bag producing the second SIG sauger and an extra clip. "Just in case."

She smiled up at him and slipped the weapon into her own bag. They walked through the entrance and into union station together. It was late on a Tuesday afternoon which helped to give them more crowd cover.

Across the way, Eyal noticed a small electronics store. He nodded in its direction and said to Annie, "Over there. We can pick up a couple of burner phones so we'll be able to stay in contact in case we get in another situation."

Ten minutes later, Eyal held their new phones in his hand. After programming each others number into it, he handed one to Annie. "We should slit up for a bit. Make sure neither of us have been made."

"I haven't seen anyone at all. I think we're okay for now," Annie insisted.

"Maybe," he said gazing out a the bustling shopping center. "We can't be too careful, though." He turned back to Annie and looked at her closely. Circles were beginning to form under her eyes. "Why don't you get some new clothes for both of us? We haven't been able to stop running long enough in days and I know I'd feel better with a set of fresh clothes to change into."  
"Okay, okay. You have a valid point." Annie raised her hands in defeat. "I'm going. Meet back here in an hour?" He nodded, a little distracted. "Is there anything specific you want?" she asked as she slipped her new phone into her front jeans pocket.

He shook his head and she turned on her heel, disappearing into the crowd. Truthfully, he hated to let her out of his sight, but he had a couple phone calls to make and he preferred to make them away from Annie's listening ears.

An hour later, Annie returned carrying a large shopping bag in one hand. She smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. Eyal couldn't help but smile in return. Except for a hint of exhaustion on her face, the average person would never guess that 24 hours before she'd shot a man at point blank.

He was a little baffled by the woman he saw in front of him at that moment. He admired the spy that she'd become; that one day she could kill a man who deserved to die and act as if nothing had happened the next. At the same time he cringed inwardly knowing that he'd had a hand in helping to shape this Annie.

"Found us a place to lay low?" she asked dropping the bag on next to him on the bench where he'd perched, waiting for her. "I assumed that's what you wanted to be alone to do."

He looked up into her hazel eyes and grinned. "Of course. Did you recognize anyone tailing you?"

She shook her head but frown. "I didn't notice anyone at all, it makes me a little nervous being out in the open like this. We need to go to ground and regroup."

"I agree." Eyal stood, a little stiffly, and took a long breath. "Come on," he said finally after scanning the mall crowd again, searching for anyone that stood out as even slightly out of place. Over the years he'd become quite skilled at spotting tails but right now he saw nothing. "We can grab a taxi and be there in no time."

They walked side by side not saying a word. Eyal hailed a taxi and opened the door letting Annie slide in first. He gave the address for a large hotel in Georgetown and leaned back in the seat next to her and sighed. He could feel Annie's eyes on him, watching curiously.

"What?" he asked not opening his eyes.

"Something is bothering you. Talk to me."

"There are plenty of things bothering me. All of which shouldn't be discussed here." He glanced up at the driver and then back at Annie. "What I really want right now, though, is to eat, take a shower, and get some sleep in a real bed."

He caught a look of frustration on her face as she turned away to look out the window. He knew he was brooding and there were things that needed discussing, but in the cab with the driver listening wasn't the place.

It didn't take long for the taxi to pull up outside the hotel. Eyal grabbed Annie's hand and pulled her out of the cab with him. He kept her hand clasped in his as he strode into the lobby and to the elevator. "Smile," he whispered forcing a grin. "We don't want to look out of place."

"Where are we going?" Annie asked once the elevator doors closed.

Eyal let go of her hand and leaned up against the wall. "Ninth floor."

They rode in silence until the doors opened to the ninth floor. He smiled when he saw the small table across from the elevator. On it sat a small brown envelope. Eyal picked it up and slid a simple key card onto his hand with the number 912 written on it.

Annie followed him as they walked down the hall to their room. He inserted the key and turned the handle gingerly.

Inside, the room was dark, the drapes of the window pulled tightly closed. He flipped on the light, and breathed a small sigh of relief. The room was like any other hotel room he'd been in. Dresser, desk, table and chairs, sofa, king size bed.

"Nice room," Annie commented from behind him. She walked over to the sofa and dropped the bag of clothes. He watched as she shrugged off her coat and tossed it over one of the chairs.

"Are you hungry?" Eyal asked. "I know the manager here. He said he'd send something up when I let him know I'm here." He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick message before turning back to her.

"There's something bothering you," Annie said simply.

He sighed sliding off his own wool coat and added it to the holding Annie's. "Those guys at the apartment. It's bothering me. The CIA doesn't operate on US soil. You told me that ages ago."

Annie thought for a moment before answering. "That's...mostly true. If they were who I thought they were, they're from special projects. Special projects doesn't exactly play by the rules all the time."

Eyal frowned. Coming to Washington had been a more dangerous decision than he had thought. If they weren't careful, they'd both get killed trying to clear Annie's name.

"I'm worried about you," he admitted. "You killed a man point blank yesterday, Annie. That's not like you."

Annie stood next to the sofa, eying him as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's part of the job. And you haven't been around me over these last three years. I've changed. Wasn't it always you that told me to put my feelings and empathy aside and do my job?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm just worried about who you're becoming." He rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands. "I don't want you to end up like me."

"So, I've evolved, Eyal. I've changed in ways that make me better at my job. We all change and evolve." She began to pace in front of him. "You're certainly not the same man I met in Zurich seven years ago."

He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her arm, stopping her in mid-stride. "I get it. Yes, we all change. It's true. I just don't want you to loose all the things about you that I-" he cut himself off in mid-sentence. He couldn't bring himself to say that he'd fallen in love with her, at least not since that night three years ago. "That make you the incredible person I've known these last seven years."

Annie looked at him for a long time until a knock sounded at the door.

Silently, Eyal stood and let go of her arm. He strode to the door, peered through the peephole before opening it, and taking a large tray as well as a bottle of wine. He closed the door and smiled at Annie. "Dinner?"

They sat at the table eating and drinking wine. They talked, but mostly about nothing. However, a cloud of tension loomed over their heads waiting for them to talk about what they needed to do next.

He was pouring himself a second glass of wine when she finally spoke. "I need to kill Jonathan Atwater."

Eyal raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Need to? Are you sure?"

"Of course."

He didn't speak for a moment. "Annie he's your countryman. I'm sure your CIA would look past killing the likes of Marco Rubio, but they won't if you kill one of your own."

"I'm already done. This is my unfinished business."

"Annie, what are you talking about?"

"Eyal, you know exactly what this is about. I've given everything for my country and now I'm being thrown under a bus because I'm the easiest one to point fingers at. You of all people should understand."

"No, I don't."

"Eyal, Mossad did the same thing to you for their own gain."

"Don't pretend to understand something you know nothing about," Eyal rubbed the spot on the back of his neck where one of the men had taken a swing at him earlier. He was aching, inside and out.

"No. You can't use that line on me anymore. I'm not a rookie agent. I know what happened. I was there."

He could almost physically see the anger and frustration building in her face. "Leave it alone, Annie. I don't want to talk about it." He stood and turned away, avoiding her eyes.

"If I'm wrong, then set me right." She followed him from the table, gripped his forearm and tugged at him.

"I said drop it," he answered, shaking her off.

"No I won't. Just tell me whatever it is, then maybe I will."

Finally, he turned to her. "You really want to know why I left Mossad? Well, here it is.". Eyal crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Yes, I did take the fall for them, but that's not why I quit. I crossed a line and ended up hurting someone I cared too much about. I hated myself for what they asked me to do. It was the last straw."

"I don't understand, Eyal."

He dropped his arms and looked at Annie for a long minute. She didn't see it; she had never seen it. "You do, Annie. Just think about it for a moment." He ran a hand nervously through his messed hair and turned to the bathroom. "I-I need to shower," I said as he closed the door.

He leaned over the sink and took a deep breath wondering if giving up that small truth had been for to best. Eyal studied himself in the mirror. The bruises were beginning to show and the wound on his forehead had begun to bleed again. He picked up on of the washcloths and dampened it under cool water. As he cleaned it, he vaguely wondered if he could find some first aid supplies to clean it properly.

After wiping away the already drying blood, Eyal stripped out of his shirt and jeans. He turned on the shower and stepped inside, closing the sliding glass door behind him.

The water was calming; something he needed right at that moment. He loved Annie, he was finally able to really admit it to himself, but she could be so blinded by her own thoughts. He closed his eyes and let the falling water run down his face.

Suddenly the shower door slid open and Eyal blinked. "Shit, Annie. What are you doing?"

She stood in front of him, her eyes pools of gold and flecks of green, wearing only her t-shirt and underwear. "I-I never knew," she said softly, barely audible over the sound of the water. She took a step forward, pressing her hands against his chest and pushing him up against the cold tile.

The water from the shower cascaded over her quickly soaking what little clothing she was wearing.

"Annie," he whispered softly bringing his hands to her face, searching her with his eyes. "If this is pity, I don't need pity."

"This is hardly pity," she said, a smile on her lips and fire smoldering in her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Just the one word would have been enough to throw him over the edge. He leaned down and kissed her, lightly at first until she parted her lips and her tongue probed his. His hands found their way to her face, cupping her cheeks.

They parted, just for a moment, and tugged off the rest of her clothes tossing them in a soggy pile in the corner of the shower.

His hands grazed her skin. He wanted to touch every inch of her, memorize her body. A moan escaped her lips as his hands fluttered over her. His lips traced her jaw and the line of her neck as she arched her back, reaching up to meet him. The desire built in his body with every kiss of her lips and every touch of her skin.

Her hands explored too, from his chest and abdomen then trailing up his back. Her fingers were light and agile, fluttering across his skin in a way he hadn't felt in ages. She dug her short fingernails into him and moaned as his teeth grazed her earlobe. "Annie," he whispered between ragged breaths.

"Eyal, please," she begged hooking one of her legs around him.

His breath quickened and his heart raced. His lips met hers again and he kissed her deeply, overflowing with the longing he'd felt for the last three years. He laced Annie's fingers with his and pulled her around so her back was against the tile wall. She laughed at the sudden movement, looking up at Eyal with tiny droplets forming on her eyelashes.

"Yes?" he asked, his forehead pressing against hers.

"Yes," she answered defiantly, reaching up to kiss him again.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned softly as he lifted her onto him. They moved together to the pace of the beating of their hearts. Her back arched and her fingers dug into his back. And, with the whisper of a single word, neshama, they both found their release.

Still holding Annie tightly, they both slid to the floor of the shower. This was not what he had expected. As an afterthought, he reached up and turned the water off. He brushed a tangled strand of blonde hair out of her eyes and cupped her cheek in his hand tilting her face so he could look directly in her eyes. "Hey, I-"

"You don't need to say anything," she interrupted.

"Okay." He wasn't sure what he could say anyway. It's not like this was their first time. But this was different. This hadn't been driven by lust or need or spy-craft.

He held her in his arms until the steam of the shower settled on their skin and chilled them both. "It's late," he whispered, nuzzling her hair.

They stood, knees shaky, reaching for the soft white towels just beyond the shower door. Eyal pulled one down and wrapped it around Annie's body drying her in the process.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, one hand slipping into her tangled, wet hair. In a blur Annie and Eyal tumbled from the bathroom and onto the bed, her towel and soggy clothes long forgotten. He made love to her again, forgetting about everything that had happened over the last few days.

Hours later, he lay beside her, tangled in the sheets and watching her as she lay on her stomach breathing lightly. His hand ran lightly over her shoulder blades. He felt more relaxed than he'd felt in a while. He yawned lightly, let his eyelids fall, and slipped away to sleep.

His eyes opened groggily, a single beam of sunlight slipped past the drapes and shined directly across his chest. Eyal blinked, trying to decipher what had pulled him from his sleep, then he heard it, a soft buzzing from the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed.

He sat up quickly and realized Annie was no longer lying next to him. "Annie?"


	11. What The Water Gave Me

**Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. Hopefully it won't take as long for the next one.**

* * *

He blinked again trying to will away the grogginess, the buzzing still persisting in his ears. "Annie?" he asked again. His body was aching from the previous two days beatings.

Annie came into his line of vision, her hair pulled high on top of her head in a knot and dressed all in black. Her hand reached down and grasped her phone sitting on the nightstand and brought it to her ear. "Yes?" she asked softly.

Eyal sat bolt upright, realizing the buzzing in his ear had been Annie's burner phone ringing. He tried to reach for her arm, but she stepped out of reach.

"Uh huh," she turned her back to him and walked over to the sofa and shopping bag of clothes bought the previous afternoon. "Yes. I've got it. One hour," her voice soft. She clicked off her phone and slid it into her back pocket as she retrieved a stack of clothes from the bag.

"Who was that," he asked, trying to to keep his temper in check.

"Auggie," she answered, tossing the stack at him.

For a moment he was distracted, but his eyes widened in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind?" Eyal asked, unable to hold in his shock.

"Auggie is on our side," she insisted. "I called him while you where asleep. It's an untraceable number." Before he could speak, she'd climbed onto the bed and sat, strattled over his legs. Instinctively his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, crushing the stack of clothes between them. She took his face in her hands and rested her forehead against his. "Please, Eyal. You have to trust me on this. This is my home, my turf."

She kissed him then, softly and patiently, her lips curling against his in a smile. When she finally broke away, his breathing was ragged. Eyal swallowed, trying to pull himself back together. "Okay," he said finally. "Okay, but you're going to have to get off of me. Not that I'm complaining. I'd be quite happy to stay right here and forget everything else."

Annie laughed, pulling his hands from her waist and sliding off the bed. "Get dressed," she insisted.

He watched as she retreated to the bathroom, a slight bounce in her step. For a moment he wondered how much of it was because of him and how much was because of Auggie. Jealousy clenched in stomach a moment before he shook it off. There was no reason to have those feelings.

Eyal quickly slid out of the bed and dressed in the new clothes. Annie had picked out a long sleeved black t-shirt, a coal grey pull over sweater, and jeans. Everything fit perfectly.

He looked up when she came out of the bathroom. "You ready?" she asked as she sat down on the sofa and slipped into a new pair of running shoes.

"Just a minute," he called, retrieving his watch from the bathroom where he'd left it the night before. He quickly checked the gash from the day before in the mirror above the sink. It had begun to heal slightly and the darkening bruise on the side of his face didn't seem nearly as bad as he thought it would be.

When Eyal stepped out of the bathroom Annie already had her coat on and was waiting by the door with the shopping bag from the day before. She tossed him his own wool coat as she said, "We need to get going. Auggie's safe house is pretty close, but we should try to get there before him in case anyone is following him."

He nodded as he slipped the coat over his shoulders, glad that she seemed to be thinking clearly. "Speaking of that, how is Auggie going to get to his safe house without a CIA tail? Won't it be hard for him to get to a safe house when he needs to have a driver and can't actually see if someone is following him?"

She shook her head as she thought. "He didn't really give me details. We've just got to trust him." Annie must have seen the hint of doubt in his eyes because she stepped close to him, laid her free hand on his chest, tilted her head back to look him in the eye. "I know that trust doesn't really come all that easy for you, but you have to trust me. Of everyone at the agency, I know I can trust Auggie."

"Yes. I trust you," he answered trailing his thumb over her cheek. "I just can't help feeling we're walking into the inevitable trap, though."

She smiled up at him and let her free hand fall to his. Lacing his fingers with hers he followed her down the hallway and to the lobby where they quickly picked up a cab to take them to Auggie's safe house.

Annie's small hand felt warm in his. He'd held her hand in his many times, in times of reassurance and comfort. If he moved his fingers to just the right position he could just barely make out her pulse. Vaguely he wondered if her heart sped like his did whenever she was close.

He tipped his head back in his seat and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, forcing himself to concentrate. Being distracted would only hinder them.

A few minutes later the car stopped and Eyal's eyes popped open. He handed the driver some bills and slipped out of the car behind Annie. "Is this it?" he asked standing next to her.

She shook her head. "No. It's on the other side of the block. I was thinking we should go in from the alley. We're less likely to be spotted."

"Keyed or coded?" he asked as they took the narrow walkway between two small shops.

"Coded," she answered not looking back as they emerged into an alley facing what looked to be a fairly newly renovated brownstone. "Auggie gave it to me this morning."

Eyal's eyes flicked back and forth scanning the alley as they scurried out into the open. He wouldn't feel safe until they were inside the apartment, and maybe not even then. He was sure he would have felt safer back at the hotel.

He listened as she typed the code and the metal door opened with an audible click. "Come on," she whispered as she slipped through the small opening. He followed cautiously, pulling the SIG sauer from his bag. He held the weapon loosely in his hand and let the door click closed behind him.

Annie had stopped about three steps in and peered curiously down a narrow hallway that ended at the front door and a set of stairs. Without turning she mumbled, "It's the apartment on the second floor. Treading lightly, they both made their way to the end of the hallway and up the stairs.

At the next landing was a small foyer with just a simple wooden door. Instead of a deadbolt, though, there was a keypad that had, instead of numbers, a series of tiny raised dots.

"A keypad in Braille?" Eyal asked curiously as Annie ran her finger over the keys.

"Auggie's design. He has a safe with the same kind of keypad, only that one is numbers. This one has letters too." She turned and smiled back at him as she punched keys at what seemed to be random. "Auggie taught me the alphabet and numbers a few years ago. Who knew it would come in handy like this?"

"Very cleaver," Eyal admitted as the door clicked open.

He entered first, his gun drawn. When he was sure the apartment was clear, Annie followed him inside letting the door close behind her.

"And now we wait for Auggie," she said quietly as she pealed off her coat and tossed it over a chair. She slid down into the sofa and sighed, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms.

"Tired?" he asked, a small smirk playing on his lips. Eyal set his weapon on a counter near the door and leaned up against the granite. Annie made a noise that sounded like a snort. He couldn't help but tease her. There had been far too much seriousness over the past few days.

She leaned back in her seat, smiling, and opened her mouth to speak but Eyal held his hand up. He had heard the soft click of the door unlocking. Quickly, he scooped up his gun, unlocking the safety, and aimed it at the slowly opening door.

"Really not the welcome I was hoping for," Auggie said as he closed the door behind him.

"Auggie," Annie sighed from the sofa.

"Annie. You don't know how good it is to hear your voice. I didn't think I'd ever see you aga- oof!" In a matter of seconds Annie had leapt from her seat, crossed the room, and flung her arms around him, knocking Auggie back a step. "Didn't see you coming," Auggie mumbled into her hair. "I'm so glad you're okay."

After what seemed like ages Annie broke from Auggie's embrace. "Eyal. I never would have made it without him." Annie's gaze lingered on him as he slipped the gun into the waistband of his jeans.

"It's good to see you," Eyal said extending his hand to meet Auggie's outstretched one. He grasped it firmly and smiled. He'd always liked Auggie.

"Likewise, so to speak."

Beside them both, Annie yawned audibly.

"Are you okay?" Auggie asked, concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just tired." She shot a warning glance at Eyal. "I just... I could use a shower. It might wake me up. Do you mind?" she asked, her eyes focused on Auggie.

"No. It's cool. There are clean towels in the bathroom. I had a housekeeping service come by a couple days ago and make sure everything was clean and the fridge stocked." Auggie shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "I had a feeling I'd end up here at some point this week."

Annie stood up on her toes and kissed Auggie on the cheek. "You think of everything," she said, smiling sweetly. As she turned to head into the bathroom, her hand grazed lightly across the back of Eyal's hand and up his arm. It gave him chills to have her fingers brush skin so softly.

His eyes stayed on her as she padded silently into the bathroom.

"You both are crazy, you know?" Auggie's voice broke into his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"You two should have dropped off the radar. You could have taken her anywhere, given her a new identity. I know you have the means," Auggie said, folding his cane and sliding it into his coat pocket before sliding it off his shoulders.

"She would never have let me. You know that as well as I do."

"True," he sighed. He leaned up against the same counter next to Eyal and brushed a hand through his hair.

"Coffee?" Eyal asked not knowing what else could be said.

"Yeah, there should be some in the freezer. I'm not sure how good it is anymore, but at one time it was."

Eyal chuckled lightly as he pushed himself away from counter. He found a bag of ground coffee in the door of the freezer and began brewing a pot. He tapped his fingers on the kitchen counter before turning to Auggie. "What really happened between you and Annie?"

"That story could take a while to explain," Auggie answered tracing his fingers along another counter, stopping suddenly to reach up for to retrieve two mugs from a set on a shelf over his head. He thought another moment before continuing. "That was a hard year for both of us.

"Annie was working on that damn file from Henry Wilcox back then. That was a huge issue, if you remember."

Eyal nodded. He did remember. Annie had taken a lot of risks with that, some that paid out and some that didn't. He was never privy to the entire file but he remembered her calls for no-questions-asked favors.

"The secrets, the lies, the accusations of that file ultimately put a rift between us that took Annie taking a long term deep cover mission for me to finally get over the scars it caused." Auggie reached for the brewed coffee and poured himself a cup. With the cup in both his hands he turned and leaned back against the counter.

"I remember that period well." Eyal picked up his own cup and crossed to a barstool nearby. "I remember worrying about her. She would never tell me much, just ask for favors that I couldn't ask about. I thought it was just the nature of the game. I didn't realize there might have been more..."

Auggie shrugged and shook his head. "The thing was, though, we were always doomed as a couple. We were bound to end, the events of that year just made it all fall apart quicker."

"I'm truly sorry, Auggie. I know she's cared very much about you. She has quite an effect on a man, doesn't she?"

"She does," he laughed lightly. "And I still care about very much. She's my best friend still. She's family." Auggie paused a moment, taking a drink from his coffee cup and sighed. "The real reason she and I could never last as a couple was because there was always someone else in her head."

"Simon," Eyal sighed.

Auggie shook his head. "No. She put that ghost to rest a long time ago." Auggie turned himself to face Eyal. "It was always you."

A heavy silence weighed in the air between the two men. The only sound was rushing of the water in the apartment shower. The feeling was suffocating, like the pressure of water slowly drowning a man.

Eyal heard the water in the shower shut off and he knew that Annie would be joining them in minutes. "You're sure?" Eyal asked quietly.

Auggie smiled and looked as if he could start laughing. "A blind man could see. Think about it. She could have gone to any number of people to help her and she went to you. For her, that says a lot."

"I think that helped," Annie called as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Eyal took another drink of his coffee and turned to her, his mind reeling. She ran a hand through her damp hair and smiled. Even straight out of the shower she was incredible.

"Great," she said cheerily. "If you two are done catching up, I think it's time to get down to business."


	12. Seven Devils

Annie leaned back and sighed against the headrest of the passenger seat. "Really, you had to go with the silver sedan?" she teased.

"Sorry," Eyal replied. "They were all out of inconspicuous red Volkswagens."

She laughed heartily next to him. "Remind me to take you for a drive in my corvette."

It was his turn to laugh. "I've seen your driving."

He glanced over to see her wide smile. She looked relaxed, calm, carefree. This was how it should be. She shouldn't be running for her life. He could almost picture her standing on the deck of his boat, her skin golden from the sun, her cheeks pink from the salty wind. He wondered if that picture could ever become reality.

"What are you thinking?" Annie asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"I was wondering if you knew how to sail," he answered. A half-truth.

She thought for a minute. "I've been out on a sailboat, but I've never had the opportunity to learn." She tilted her head slightly and gave him a look that he couldn't quite decipher. "I think I'd like to learn."

There was a promise in her words that gave him hope, something to look forward to. On a day like this, it was all he could hope for.

Suddenly, Annie's face became serious. "That's him," she said.

Eyal turned and scrutinized the scene before him. A black SUV had just pulled into Atwater's driveway. Out of the rear passenger door their target exited. The man was in his late 60s, tall, and balding.

He watched as Atwater unlocked the side door and entered the modest sized house in Arlington carrying a black leather briefcase. Auggie had told them the night before that Atwater had been married at one time and had a 22-year-old son. The man certainly didn't seem like a traitor from the outside, but Eyal know well that it wasn't about what you could see from the outside that made a man a traitor.

"You're sure he never strays from his routine?" Eyal had asked Auggie as the three sat around the kitchen table the night before studying the cryptic notes he'd managed to put together.

"Absolutely," Auggie replied, his face grim.

"Auggie, how did you get all this information together so quickly?" Annie had finally asked the question that had been plaguing Eyal's mind since the file of notes had been produced.

"I've been digging into everything ever since you reached out to me before and your sister and her family disappeared." He ran a hand through his unruly hair. "There were so many discrepancies but I couldn't get anything to fit together... At least not until you called this morning with a name." Auggie's anguish was clear on his face. "I'm so sorry, Annie. I feel like I failed you.."

Annie reached over then and laid her hand on Auggie's forearm in a gesture of comfort. "No. I could never believe that you had failed me. Because I know, without a doubt, that you've got a plan for in now.

Auggie had looked up, grinning devilishly at both Annie and Eyal and began describing his master plan.

Eyal heard Annie exhale loudly and pulled himself back to the present. Anger was painted across her face. It wasn't just anger he saw either. In her eyes he could see her hunger for vengeance. He'd seen that same fire in his own eyes too many times.

"I hate the waiting," Annie finally said.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "How have you made it in this business so long?"

"I never said I couldn't handle it, just that I hate it." Her eyes were trained on Atwater's home. "I fear that by having to wait before acting, I'll miss an opportunity."

Eyal knew the consequences and rewards of the wait very well. He thought of his own opportunities lost through his fingers because he thought he needed another day or because of a bluff. "Tomorrow," he said finally.

Annie snapped her head to face him. "Tomorrow what?" she asked, her eyes flashing.

"Tomorrow we go in. It's time this whole thing is over with."

"You're sure?" she asked. He could see the surprise on her face from the corner of his eye. "You don't think we should do more surveillance?"

He shrugged. Honestly, he didn't know if more surveillance was going to do any good. They were going to have go in fast and take the man by surprise. That alone was going to be a hefty task. Besides, Auggie had given them a wealth of knowledge about Jonathan Atwater before he'd left that morning. "I'm not sure more will help," he admitted. "The longer we wait the more likely we'll either be made or they're going to track us down."

They both sat in silence for a long time after that, neither wanting to say what was on each others minds. It didn't matter if they went in tomorrow or next week. There was a good chance that Atwater already knew they were coming and neither one of them were going to walk out of that house a free man... Or even alive.

It was late evening before they decided to call it quits and head back to the safe house. There was no point in watching the place into the night when the plan was to break into the house durning the day when there was less chance of Atwater's place being under the watchful eyes of the CIA. There they would wait in hiding until the man came home.

They chatted while they prepared and ate dinner. Eyal was reminded just how comfortable he felt around Annie, just chatting about anything in general. "How is Avi?" she asked from across the table.

He smiled happily. The thought of his son in Israel always warmed his heart. "He's great. A teenager, can you believe it?"

Annie smiled back at him amused by the happiness he was sure was written all over his face. "I bet he's just like you when you were that age."

Eyal shook his head and laughed. "No, no. He's much smarter than I was. He gets that from his mother." He leaned back in his chair and watched Annie laugh on the opposite side of the table.

"And what has he gotten from his father?" she asked with mock sincerity. She leaned forward in her seat, her elbow resting on the table and chin in her hand.

"His devilishly good looks, of course," he answered, grinning as Annie giggled. Eyal couldn't help but laugh in return. He would give anything and everything to know that he would be able to hear that musical laughter once this was all over, but he was haunted by a reality that suggested different.

When their plates were empty, Eyal reached for the dirty dishes but Annie pulled them away from him insisting that she would clean up since he had cooked dinner. He instead found himself folding the blankets Auggie had slept with the previous night on the sofa and returning them to the closet from where they'd come.

He couldn't help but watch Annie as he returned to the sofa and sat down. When she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, he couldn't help but return it with one of his own. He wondered briefly if this was what domestic bliss with her would be like before shaking the thoughts from his mind. He couldn't allow himself such hopeful thoughts when he feared the absolute worst.

"Can we…" She hesitated, biting her bottom lip. Her voice pulled him out of his own thoughts and back to the present. Annie had filled both of their wine glasses and held one in each hand. "Can we forget about all of this? For tonight? Tomorrow might be… difficult."

He laughed. "Difficult? No, never. How could kidnapping a high official of the CIA, on US soil no less, be at all difficult?" His sarcasm was evident in his tone.

Annie padded lightly over to the sofa to sit next to him, close enough that he could feel her warmth but not quite touching. She handed him a glass of red wine, keeping a glass for herself. "You know what I mean. We've got some good wine, good food, good company… I just want to pretend, just for one night, that…" She bit her lip again.

"It can be just the two of us?" he finished her thought.

"I just want to be with you, Eyal. Even if it's just tonight. You told me once to treat every meal like it's your last… Well, why shouldn't we treat every moment in the same way?"

He took her glass in his free hand and set both down on the coffee table. He slid his right hand to the nape of her neck, letting his thumb graze across her jaw. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the dim apartment light. "You know," his voice low and deep, "this is never how I wanted this to happen. I would have much rather taken you to dinner and maybe some dancing… wooed you with my charm." He was smiling now.

"Woo?" she asked with a laugh. "Who says that?" Her fingers reached for his face, running over the three-day-old stubble along his jaw. She pulled herself closer so their lips were only inches apart.

"Apparently, I do," he answered, his smile widening. His hand slipped out from her nape and his fingers traced her hairline memorizing the curves of her face. He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply and pushing his fears for the following day into the back of his mind.


	13. A Kiss With A Fist

"Are you ready?" Eyal asked.

"Yeah," Annie answered. She had physically paled over the last few minutes, but she still looked determined. They were currently seated at a small table a few blocks away from Jonathan Atwater's home. They'd left their car in a parking garage a few miles away and had taken a taxi to the small cafe. It wouldn't do them any good if someone discovered their car so close.

"Let's go," Eyal said nodding curtly his mind only on the mission before them. It was two in the afternoon, still hours before Atwater would return home, but it was the best time for them to slip into the house unnoticed.

They walked in silence along the quiet street. It may have been midday, but the street was nearly deserted.

They walked, first, past Atwater's home not giving it a second glance. At the end of the block, they slipped quickly around a corner and into the alley that ran directly behind the house. There was a shed in back and a waist high shrub running along the length of the property.

Eyal slipped easily through a break in the foliage near the wall of the shed, tugging Annie behind him. They crept noiselessly across the small back yard of grass that had begun to fade to brown in the crisp fall temperatures.

A large, well cared for deck was attached to the house via a set of French doors. On one end of the deck sat a stainless steel barbecue grill and a forlorn looking picnic table that both looked like they hadn't been used in at least a couple of months. Eyal leapt up the steps with Annie close behind.

From his jeans pocket, he slid two slim pieces of metal. Lock picking tools that he'd found among a handful of other items Auggie had left for them the previous morning. He flicked Annie a look before crouching down to focus his attention on quickly opening the door's lock. Eyal knew without looking that Annie had turned, positioning her back to the doors so that she could keep an eye on the rest of the back yard, allowing him to put all his thought into unlocking the door.

It only took a few seconds until the lock gave a faint click.

Eyal straightened up and turned the door's knob, slipping in quickly with Annie close behind him. Inside, he scanned the room... A kitchen. Directly in front of them sat a dining table half covered in piles of papers. To the left was a long counter and set of cupboards that wrapped around the room. It was there, on the wall above the counter next to the doors, that he spotted the small security pad.

Annie swore softly under her breath as he flipped up the plastic cover revealing the numbered keypad within.  
Eyal quickly tapped out the sequence of numbers that he'd received earlier that morning via text message. "I've got it under control, Neshama," he said flashing Annie a satisfied grin and hoping to lighten the air around them. He feared that her emotions were interfering with her clarity. In a situation like this, if her emotions were ruling her too much, it could get them both killed.

A small smile spread over her lips. "How did you know?" Annie asked curiously.

Eyal shrugged, flipping the cover back down over the keypad. "There's a little sign in the front yard that announces the house is protected by DC Security. I noticed it yesterday. I met a woman a few years ago that, given enough time, can get the security code for nearly anything."

"We'll done, Mr. Bond," she quipped, her smile widening ever so slightly.

His heart leapt at the sight of her genuine smile. He quickly suppressed his emotions, though, reminding himself that he needed to take extra care to keep in control.

Annie curiously picked up a stack of papers that Eyal had noticed on the kitchen table when they'd slipped through the door. The corners of her mouth turned down as she began flipping through the pages. He watched quietly leaning against the counter as she finished scanning the first stack, let it fall back onto the table, and picked up the next stack.

"Find anything interesting?" he asked, his arms folded across his chest.

"No," she answered not looking up. "It's mostly just bills and other every day normal paperwork." She dropped the second stack of paper back onto the table before rubbing her fingertips back and forth over her temple.

"Were you hoping to?"

Annie cocked her head to the side and looked up into Eyal's eyes. "I..." she began to answer. He could see the frustration clearly written across her face. "I don't know," she said finally. "All we have is speculation. I just want to have something concrete... Something tangible that I can hold between my fingers."

Eyal thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay," he said pushing himself away from the counter, "but I doubt Atwater would have left anything incriminating just sitting here in the kitchen." His eyes flicked to a long hallway off of the kitchen. Annie smiled in realization of what he was suggesting.

"Office," she said under her breath and making her way down the hall, Eyal close behind.

At the third door Annie tried, she found a spacious office. Immediately she made her way to a large oak desk and began tugging at the drawers. Eyal stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching her, before turning his attention to the rest of the room.

He scanned the room first with his eyes and then began making his way along the perimeter searching for anything that might seem out of place. He walked past an oil painting before turning back to it. Something was slightly off. There were two other paintings on the wall with similar frames but for some reason the painting he was looking at stuck out from the wall just a little too much.

Eyal heard Annie curse under her breath as he lifted the painting.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning at the empty wall.

"One of these drawers... It's locked and I can't find a key over here," Annie said finally.

Eyal flipped over the painting he was holding and studied the frame. He ran his fingers along the inside edge curiously. As he passed over the smooth wood, his fingers brushed a small piece of metal that dislodged itself from the frame and fell to the floor. Eyal knelt down and picked the shining item with a smile and turned to Annie. "Maybe this will help," he said tossing the little silver key through the air.

"You're just full of surprises," she said as he joined her at the desk. Annie leaned down and quickly unlocked one of the bottom drawers. She tugged on the drawer, opening it to reveal...nothing.

She slammed the drawer shut and sighed.

Eyal laid his hand on her shoulder squeezing it lightly. "It was a long shot."

"I know," was all she said before leaving the office. In the hallway, Eyal stopped and gripped her arm, effectively stopping Annie in her tracks. "What?" she asked.

He raised a finger to his lips and he heard it again, the unmistakable whir of the garage door. Eyal glanced at his watch and his eyes widened in momentary panic. Atwater was supposed to still be at the office. Auggie had checked with the deputy director's secretary that morning and sent them a message.

He rushed into the living room as a key rattled in the front door lock. He cursed himself silently. Eyal had thought they would have more time to get themselves into position. Now they would have to improvise.

He pulled Annie to the wall beside him and held his breath. They were going to have to take Atwater down quickly and quietly before he was able to call for help or reach for a weapon. Although the CIA didn't normally carry guns, Eyal was sure Atwater was expecting Annie to come after him.  
Eyal held his breath as the door opened and Atwater stepped through. Eyal latched onto the other man's wrist and wrenched his arm back while at the same time snaking his other arm around Atwater's throat. In the same moment, Annie slipped behind both men quickly closing and locking the front door.

Atwater clawed at Eyal's arm with his free hand, tearing at the fabric. Eyal tightened his hold around the other man's throat until Atwater's hand loosened and Annie moved in closer to search for a weapon. A moment later she stepped back, a 9mm glock in one hand and what he could only assume was Atwater's cell phone in her other hand.

Eyal half drug Atwater across the room and deposited him into an arm chair next to the sofa. Annie stood next to Eyal, the gun in her hand trained on the center of Atwater's furrowed brow as he rubbed a hand over his throat.

"I knew you would show up sooner or later," Atwater coughed and then hissed through clenched teeth.

Annie's eyes formed tiny slits and her lips pinched together. "Well, you sure did a terrible job of protecting yourself from me."

"Really?" Atwater asked smiling.

"You are a bastard," she hissed. "I never did any of those those things. It was you, all along. Everything. It was you who was working with the Rubio brothers laundering money and funding terrorist groups."

"Let me guess, Ms. Walker. You want to know why I chose you." Annie didn't move, her expression stone. "You're no longer useful to me." Atwater hesitated for a moment, settling into the armchair. "When I looked into you when you took this deep cover assignment I saw a woman who was already having her own problems with the agency. You're evaluations are very interesting, Ms. Walker. Before this assignment you were on your way out because of your...relationships with traitors and foreign spies."

Atwater glanced at Eyal with a smug smile that made his blood boil.

"Funny," she hissed, her anger thick in the air.

Eyal frowned. Annie was loosing her control.

"Ms. Walker to be completely honest, I don't care one way or another of your innocence. The truth is, I have enough information to easily paint you as the traitor and put you away for the rest of your life. And conspiring with an ex-Mossad agent," he said tipping his chin at Eyal, "well that just makes you seem even more guilty." A sinister smile crept over Jonathan Atwater's lips. "The American government will believe they have their traitor and I can retire saddened that something like this could happen under my watch."

Annie snapped. She balled her fist and swung wildly, clenching her jaw. Eyal tried to stop her but he wasn't fast enough. He heard the crunch of Atwater's nose as her fist made contact. A moment later a trickle of bright red blood dropped onto upper lip.

"Bitch," the man muttered.

Eyal laid his hand on Annie's arm before she could launch herself at him again. He had a feeling that beating the man to a pulp wouldn't help her situation in the least. If he would have thought it would've helped he would have done the job himself the moment Atwater walked through the front door. Instead, the ringing of Atwater's cell phone in Annie's hand startled them both.

"That's my security team. You might want to let me answer that," Atwater said, the smile returning to his face.

Annie looked down at the phone for a moment before stretching her arm out to hand it back to Atwater. "He's right," she said to Eyal. "If he doesn't answer, his security team will be in here in minutes."

Atwater answered the ringing phone. "Alpha bravo zulu one eight nine five."

Annie whirled on Atwater and cursed loudly as she torn the phone from his fingers. She threw it against the opposite wall where it broke into pieces. "Duress code," she breathed, her eyes wide and frantic. Annie turned to Eyal. "They'll be here in minutes. You have to go. They don't want you."

Eyal caught Annie's wrist and looked her directly in her eyes. "I'm not leaving. I won't ever leave you."

A moment out of the corner of his eye caught Eyal's attention. Atwater sprang from his seat and ran toward the kitchen. Eyal spun quickly and released his hold on Annie. He launched himself at Atwater and tackled the other man to the floor. Eyal struggled, trying to hold Atwater to the ground, when suddenly it seemed like all the glass in the house shattered and everything went bright white.


	14. Howl

Eyal tapped his fingers on the metal table in front of him. He'd been trapped inside the monochrome room for hours alone. Or, at least, he figured it had been hours. He wasn't sure if it was day or night anymore.

When he closed his eyes, Eyal could see it all happening over and over again.

First, there was the shatter of glass. It had sounded like all of the windows in the house had imploded. Then there was the flash of light and all Eyal could see and hear were spots in front of his eyes and a deafening ringing in his ears. He should have guessed that the CIA would use flash bombs.

Eyal slammed his fist onto table.

The next few minutes at the house had been a blur. The tactical team swarmed the house taking all three of them into custody. It was the last moment he'd seen Annie, her hands over her ears and eyes pinched together in pain. It was a moment he never wanted to see again but couldn't get out of his head.

By the time Eyal had gotten his bearings back, he had been shuffled into a car and was being driven to Langley where he'd been dropped into the empty interrogation room for what seemed like hours.

Eyal snapped around when he heard the door swing open. A dark haired man strode in carrying a file folder. He was sharply dressed in a charcoal grey Tom Ford suit and looked to be in his early 30s, Eyal thought.

"Eyal Lavin. Former Mossad, correct?" the man asked sitting down in the chair opposite Eyal.

He didn't answer, only stared back, his expression unchanging. This CIA interrogator knew exactly who he was. Eyal was sure there was a file somewhere in this building, if it wasn't the one sitting closed on the table, that detailed little bit of information they knew about him.

"Of course. It's been a few years, but once a spy, always a spy. I've read your file. You worked with Ms. Walker on quite a few occasions before leaving Mossad and then for a few years after. You've been somewhat of asset to this agency, except for the whole Khalid Ansari incident which I understand might not have been your doing although you took the fall."

Eyal still did not speak.

"Mr. Lavin, how are you here in the US? We checked immigration. You didn't enter the country under any of your known aliases."

To this Eyal let a small smile curl at the corners of his mouth. "Apparently you don't know all of my aliases," he answered simply.

"Of course. Of course." The other man stared across the table, studying Eyal and looking for any kind of tell that could be used for an advantage.

"Who are you?" Eyal finally asked.

"I apologize, Mr. Lavin. I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Patrick Shurrer. Now, Eyal... Can I call you Eyal?"

Eyal merely glared across the table.

"Yes, Eyal, what are you doing in the US?"

"Where is Annie?" he finally asked after another few minutes of silence.

"Ms. Walker is having a conversation much like I'm trying to have with you."

"But she is here? At Langley?" A tightness that he didn't even realize he had loosened in Eyal's chest at the thought of Annie being close by. Was she in the next room even?

"That's none of your concern," Patrick insisted.

"Annie is not a traitor. She did nothing to betray your country."

"That isn't for you to determine."

"I want to see her."

"That's not possible."

"Then I'm not saying another word."

A scowl appeared on Patrick's forehead and then slowly disappeared. "Mr. Lavin," he said returning to formalities, "you are surely aware that you are in my country illegally. I can have you detained indefinitely."

"I doubt you would. I'm just a former spy who has done nothing noteworthy in years. You, surely have more important people to detain on suspicion. And, like you said, I've been somewhat of an asset to your agency and your country."

Patrick's gaze across the table was ice cold.

"Look," Eyal finally said, "you have to understand that I'm not here on some clandestine mission for Mossad or some other organization out to topple the US government. I came here with Annie Walker to find the man responsible for framing her as a traitor. If you want someone to blame and question, you should be talking to Jonathan Atwater. He is your real traitor."

"And that is the reason we captured the both of you at the deputy director's home? You believe he is responsible for the situation Ms. Walker is in?"

"Yes," Eyal sighed. He felt frantic. It was unlike him in normal situations to lay what he knew out on the table. But this wasn't an ordinary situation. This was for Annie.

"I..." Patrick began but the opening of the room's door cut him off.

A tall woman, with long brown hair looked first at Eyal and then to Patrick. "A word, Patrick?" she asked. There was a fierce quality to her stance. Eyal guessed she must be Patrick's superior.

"Of course," Patrick murmured as he stood, picking up his file, and striding to the door.

Eyal frowned as he watched the door close. He wondered what they were speaking about. Was it the accusation he'd made about their deputy director? Was it Annie?

He tapped his fingers once again on the table.

Eyal looked up as Patrick slipped through the open door a few minutes later this time followed by two burly looking men in military fatigues. The Interrogator's face was set in stone, his expression giving nothing away.

"What? Have you come to torture answers out of me now?" Eyal asked with a smile.

"Hardly, Mr. Lavin. It seems after all these years, you still have a few friends in Mossad willing to make a deal for your release. You are free to go. These men," Patrick said, gesturing to the military men, "are here to escort you out of the building to a car waiting to take you to your DC apartment."

Eyal grinned smugly as he stood but the smile faded quickly. "What about Annie?"

"As I said before, Ms. Walker is none of your concern." Patrick sighed lightly and turned to leave the small room. "The CIA suggests you leave the country and go...home."

"And if I don't?" Eyal ask, standing. The two men with Patrick moved to flank either side of Eyal as he moved toward the door.

Patrick glanced over his shoulder as he answered with a shrug. "That won't be for me to decide."

Eyal's escort ushered him out of the room and into a long corridor painted the same color grey as the room he'd been sitting in for the last few hours. Patrick led the way for a few feet before turning down a corridor without a word. Eyal's escorts led him past without a second look.

Down the corridors they walked, taking turn after turn before getting on an elevator that took them to a more populated area of the building. Eyal found himself searching the faces of everyone they passed, looking for any familiar face. A face, perhaps Auggie's, that would tell him if Annie was okay.

He was screaming inside for someone to give him a ounce of hope, but there was no one that would help him here.

His escorts continued to usher him quickly through the building, out of the front lobby, and deposited Eyal standing at the curb in front of a shiny black agency SUV. He turned and looked at Langley one last time, knowing that Annie was still somewhere inside, before slipping into one of the back seats.

The last words he'd spoken to Annie echoed in his mind. No, he wouldn't leave her, he thought with resolve as the vehicle rolled past the guard gates and picked up speed on the highway into DC. He would not leave the US yet. Not without knowing if Annie was okay.


	15. Hurricane Drunk

The clink of the ice hitting the side of the glass was familiar. The music that played softly. The din of the chattering patrons. The flow of traffic on the dark street outside. It should be familiar to him by now. He'd spent the last three evenings sitting at the bar of the Parchment...waiting.

At first he'd hoped that Annie would be released just as abruptly as he'd been so he'd stayed at his DC apartment where he was sure she'd go to find him. It was a lonely place now; a shell that represented his former life. Days had gone by, though and nothing. Eyal had become frustrated...and worried.

At first he'd tried to contact Auggie because if anyone could find out what was happening, it was Auggie Anderson. But all his attempts were deemed futile. Whether by the CIA or someone else, Eyal didn't know, but either way his communication was blocked.

He took another drink from his glass before setting it back on a napkin already damp with condensation. This was his third glass of the evening.

Eyal had come to the Parchment as a sort of last ditch effort, but if there was anywhere that Annie could possibly go to find him, that was it. He had no where else to go to find her. So, for three evenings he'd sat at the end of the long sleek bar, slowly downing sazeracs one by one until the bar closed each night.

He smiled to himself. The drink had become something of a joke between them since that fateful night some six years before. They had met at this very spot so many times after and each time he'd order another drink for her which she'd merely wave off and order something completely different.

"I'm looking for a surly Israeli drinking alone at a bar. Have you seen one here lately?" a familiar voice asked.

Eyal spun quickly on his barstool to find Auggie standing so close he could reach out and touch him. "I prefer brooding," Eyal answered with a hint of a smile.

"I don't see a difference," Auggie quipped.

"So, you've finally decided to reach out," Eyal murmured turning back to the bar and lifting his glass to his lips. "How did you know to find me here?"

"Please. The agency has had eyes on you since the moment they pushed you out the door." Auggie folded his cane and slid onto the barstool next to Eyal. "And you know I would have told you everything I knew if I actually knew anything worth while. The whole thing has been black balled. Ironically, I'm a blind man in this whole situation."

Eyal flagged down the bartender and asked for a beer for his friend. "You know," he said after the woman set a bottle in front of Auggie, "Annie and I used to meet here for drinks back when... When the two of you were dating."

Auggie nodded. "Yeah. I know. Or at least, I knew that she would meet you from time to time to talk."

"I'm sorry," Eyal muttered guiltily.

"For what?" Auggie asked. "For caring about her? You really don't seem like the kind of guy that goes around telling people you're sorry."

"You're a decent man, Auggie. You should have never been pulled into this mess." Eyal absentmindedly spun his nearly empty glass on the smooth bar. "I'm sure the agency has been putting a lot of pressure on you to tell them everything you know."

Auggie shrugged and grinned. "As far as they know, I wasn't involved in any way. I'm just a concerned friend."

"And about Annie? And why I was, as you said, pushed out the door? The guy who was questioning me said something about someone in Mossad making a deal for me. I know that's not true. Mossad would never make a deal for someone who has been out as long as I have." Eyal looked over at the other man hopefully.

Auggie took a long drink from his beer before answering. "Honestly, there's not much to tell, although I'm pretty sure you're right. That was a lie to get you out of the building. As far as can tell, there is some new evidence in Annie's favor that's got the upper floors in a flurry."

"Is she still in agency custody?"

"In a sense," Auggie answered after again hesitating. "She's being held at a safe house that even I don't know the location of while everything gets sorted out." Auggie took another drink from his bottle. "I can't get through to talk to her directly. I've cashed in as many favors as I can, but no one has let me in."

"A prisoner of her own agency."

"Not a prisoner. More like a witness being kept in protective custody."

"Being debriefed," Eyal growled, not hiding his irritation. "Your agency does seem to love debriefing."

"Look," Auggie said gripping his free forearm as Eyal knocked back the last of his drink, "she's okay. I may not be able to talk to her directly, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been able to get a message to me."

"What are you saying?" Eyal asked raising an eyebrow.

Auggie shrugged his shoulders. He reached into his coat pocket and produced a plane ticket. He smiled as he slid it over the bar and in front of Eyal. "Here's what I can tell you. The agency wants you to go back to Athens... So much so that they are willing to spring for your airfare. There is some concern that your presence here will just end up hindering the investigation. I can't tell you one way or another whether its really a problem or not. But, I can give you a piece of advice. Security at Dulles can be quite a bitch, make sure you get there extra early." Auggie patted Eyal's arm once again.

Eyal eyed the other man curiously. He opened the paper folio that held his boarding pass from the CIA and read the handwritten words on the inside flap. A grin spread over his mouth and a small chuckle escaped his lips as he turned back to Auggie. "I think I understand," he said clapping a hand on Auggie's shoulder. "I honestly hope that isn't the last time we meet, my friend. This would be a hell of a way to end a friendship."

Auggie laughed lightly as he unfolded his cane and slid off the bar stool. "Trust me. As long as you're in her life, you'll never be rid of me." He smiled with a twinkle in his eyes before turning to walk away. After a moment he stopped and called over his shoulder, "Thanks for the beer, friend, but you still owe me."

Eyal chuckled under his breath again as Auggie walked away. "You have no idea, my friend."


	16. You've Got The Love

Had it really only been just over a week ago that he'd been sitting on his boat having one too many drinks? Eyal sighed and paid the taxi driver before slipping out of the backseat to stand before the check in counters at Dullas International Airport.

Eyal looked slightly out of place waiting in line to check in for his flight with nothing but the clothes on his back and the messenger bag he'd managed to retrieve from Auggie's safe house. The woman at the desk smiled politely, but didn't ask any questions when he produced the passport he'd come into the country on. Not that she should, after all the woman was not immigration. Eyal made a mental note, though, to get a new clean alias when he got back to Athens.

He looked at his watch. Ten twenty. There was still ten minutes to spare. Looking around cautiously, Eyal took in the hustle and bustle of the airport. He'd been to this particular airport so many times in the past that he felt he knew the layout by heart.

The words written in neat script on the ticket folio flashed in his mind. 10:30 security checkpoint 2, it had said.

He stood, scanning the crowd outside security, trying to find a familiar face.

"You're early," she said, her voice just above a whisper.

Eyal spun on his heel and grinned only for a moment before his lips slid into a sad smile. Annie stood two feet away, but it could have been miles. Her golden blond hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders and spilled onto the blue wool coat he'd bought her in Athens. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He didn't know the words to say, so the first thing that came to his mind suddenly tumbled out of his mouth. "You got your coat back."

One side of her mouth curled up in a half smiled. She slid her hands into the pockets and pulled the coat tighter around her accenting the curves of her body. "Auggie," she said simply.

Tension crackled in the air.

"Where are your handlers?" he asked scanning his fellow travels milling about knowing they had to be nearby. He had no doubt she was still under close watch by her agency.

Annie glanced over her right shoulder. "They're here... Making sure I don't run," she sighed.

Eyal frowned. He had known it wouldn't be as easy as taking her hand and pulling her away from everything. His common sense had told him that, but in the back of his mind he'd wished...

"What happened back at Langley?" he finally asked. "Auggie said there were rumors of new evidence in your favor."

Annie smiled, then, and pulled her balled fist from her pocket. She opened her palm to reveal a tiny electronic device no bigger than a digital camera's memory card.

Eyal picked the item up and held it between two fingers studying it curiously. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked.

"A recording device," she said nodding. "Auggie gave it to me at the safe house. I had it in my pocket. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it. Honestly, I didn't know if it would work."

"It did, though. You've cleared your name. It's all over." Eyal sighed in relief as he handed the tiny device back to Annie.

She hesitated before speaking, a pained expression crossed her face. "It's not over, Eyal."

He shook his head. "No, Annie. It's done. Over. Atwater is in the CIA's hands. They don't own you." He reached for her gripping her shoulders in his hands. "Come with me. To Athens. I'll teach you to sail. We'll make a life together. You and I."

As soon as he said the words, her eyes clouded over in sadness and he knew what her answer would be. He let his hands fall from her shoulders.

"I can't, Eyal," she said, her voice only a whisper. He remembered that day, in Amsterdam, so many years ago now. This time, the pain from the fissure in his heart was nearly unbearable. "There's just too much here that I need to deal with," she finally said, turning away as a tear escaped the corner of her eye.

"Your family," he said simply, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets to hold himself back.

"Yes, my family, Auggie, my job... I can't just walk away. It doesn't work like that."

He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't. On some level he knew she was right, even though that's exactly what he'd done the situation for her wasn't entirely the same. She couldn't just walk away. Not if she wanted to live her life as a free woman. "I understand," he answered finally.

"You have to know... I need you to know, Eyal, that I love you. I've loved you for longer than I've realized and this is killing me inside because I'm torn in two wanting to run away with you and staying to make sure my family is safe." The tears spilled over Annie's cheeks as she spoke.

Eyal reached over and touched her cheek with his thumb, wiping away her tears. His hand lingered on the side of her face. "You've got to do what you need to," he said.

"Thank you," Annie breathed. "I couldn't have done this on my own... And I'm sorry. Sorry I ever had to involve you and take you away from your life now." Her eyes sparkled as she looked up into his own. "I realized just how much I missed working together."

Annie smiled brightly for a moment before it slipped away and she bit her bottom lip. "One day I will be done, though. It will be over then and I can only hope..."

Eyal smiled and tipped her chin up with his fingers so that her lips touched his in a soft, gentle kiss as his fingers splayed over her cheek and her hands on his chest. He touched his forehead to hers and whispered, "I'm yours, Neshama. You know where to find me."

He took another moment to take in Annie's nearness before he reluctantly turned and slipped into the crowd.

There was no looking back.

* * *

**Hold on to your hats, there's an epilogue coming...**


	17. All This And Heaven Too

He stood, leaning on the railing of his boat. A brisk cold wind from the sea ruffled through his hair. It was spring now; months since the evening he had stood in that very spot deciding to sell the boat. He hadn't, though. He couldn't seem to let it go now.

Eyal heard her footsteps walking along the pier before she climbed aboard just as the sun touched the horizon.

"I... I wasn't sure you'd be here," Annie said quietly. "I didn't know if you got my message."

Eyal didn't turn around. Truthfully, he hadn't known if he would be here either. He'd been numb ever since he'd received the message. There were too many emotions jumbled up inside of him that it was easiest just to feel nothing.

"I'm done," she said simply.

Eyal whirled around and looked at her closely. She looked tired and thinner than usual. Her eyes, normally bright, were cloudy and weary. "What do you mean done?" he asked finally. Done could mean so many things.

"I've resigned from the CIA. I'm not a spy any more." Annie's fists clenched at her sides. He eyed her cautiously. "I had to be done. I couldn't stay when I was asked to..." she swallowed, choking on the words. She shook her head and turned her eyes to look out over the sea. "I just couldn't," she finally whispered so softly that he almost didn't. "And I just couldn't."

Eyal didn't say anything. It wasn't his place. It nearly killed him, though, to watch her inner struggle wash across her face. If she wanted to tell him, she would.

"I guess I came here thinking...hoping...that you'd..." Annie continued, turning back to face him, her eyes wide with hope. "Eyal, I love you."

"Annie...," Eyal began, but what could he really say? That he understood? That he loved her still? Was there anything left to say that he hadn't said before?

"Neshema," he breathed and she caught her breath. Eyal held his arms open as Annie stepped into his embrace wrapping her arms around his neck. He folded his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair as he let his fingers tangle in her long waves.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled into his shirt. "I'm a disaster."

"Maybe," he said quietly, "but its okay." He tightened his hold on her, almost as if he feared the moment he let her go that she'd be gone.

"I'm not going to go anywhere," she said, as if she knew exactly what he had been thinking. "This is the only place I want to be. Here, with you."

"Can I trust you?" he asked finally, softly against her ear because he knew it was a question he needed to know the truth to.

"Yes," she answered instantly, "always." Her tear stained cheek pressed against his and he sighed.

That was all he needed to know.


End file.
